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Form  L-9-10m-3,'27 


Ji. 


THE   BOOK-HUNTER  AT   HOME. 


Of  this  edition  500  copies  have  been  printed. 


THE   BOOK-HUNTER  AT   HOME 

(jAN  SIX,  BY  Rembrandt) 


IHE 

BOOK-HUSTER 

AT  HOME 

BY 

P.  B.  M.  ALLAN 

THE     SECOND     EDITION, 

REVISED     AND     ENLARGED, 

WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS. 

NEW  YORK 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

MDCCCCXXII 

n  A  Q  o  f.\ 

O   ZL  O  -J  O 

First  Edition         -         1920 
Second  Edition      -         1922 


A  4:^ 


THE    EPISTLE   DEDICATORY 

To   THE   Honourable  and   Vertuous   Lady 
Mistress  E.  K.  A. 

Madam, 
—  It  would  be  churlish  indeed  were  I  to  send  this 

"X  book  into  the  world  without  some  acknowledgment  of  the 
^  share  which  you  have  had  in  its  making.  Indeed,  I  feel  that 
you  are  chiefly  responsible  for  it :  without  your  encourage- 
ment, your  active  help,  your  patience  with  me  at  all  times 
(at  which  I  marvel  constantly),  it  would  never  have  arrived 
at  completion.  Truly  it  is  your  name,  not  mine,  that  should 
appear  upon  the  title-page  ;  for  although  mine  may  have  been 
the  hand  that  penned  the  words,  certain  it  is  that  yours  was 
the  mind  that  guided  my  pen  throughout.  It  is  to  your 
sympathy,  your  judgment,  your  excellent  taste,  that  I  am 
indebted  for  every  good  thing  that  I  have  penned ;  and 
where  I  have  put  down  aught  that  is  trite  or  insipid,  it  is 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

due  to  my  own  natural  obstinacy  in  refusing,  or  carelessness 
in  neglecting,  to  defer  the  matter  to  your  better  judgment. 
Thus  it  is  only  right  that  whatever  praise  may  be  bestowed 
upon  this  book  should  be  accorded  to  you  ;  my  shoulders  alone 
must  bear  the  censure  of  the  discerning  reader. 

I  am,  Madam,  your  very  dutiful, 
and  loving  husband. 

The  Author. 


PREFACE 

In  placing  this  second  edition  before  his  fellow  book-lovers, 
the  author  would  like  to  take  the  opportunity  of  thanking  the 
numerous  correspondents  who  have  written  to  him  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  In  truth  book-collecting  establishes  a 
bond  between  its  devotees  that  is  effected  by  no  other  pursuit. 

The  first  edition  was  put  forth  only  after  much  hesitation, 
and  with  a  good  deal  of  fear  and  trembling :  that  a  second 
edition  would  ever  be  required  was  unthinkable.  But  since 
the  book  has  so  obviously  been  the  means  of  bringing 
pleasure  to  so  many,  the  author  feels  that  it  is  his  duty  to 
bring  this  second  edition  '  up  to  date,'  to  make  it  as  perfect  as 
his  poor  skill  allows.  Accordingly  the  volume  has  been  revised 
throughout,  a  number  of  additions  have  been  made,  both  to 
the  text  and  in  the  matter  of  footnotes,  and  the  prices  of  books 
have  been  amended  according  to  present  conditions.  Three 
illustrations  have  been  added. 

Quality  Court, 
July,  1921. 


CONTENTS 


^ 


I.  ADVENTURES  AMONG  BOOKS      . 

11.  THE  LIBRARY 

III.  BOOKS  WHICH   FORM  THE   LIBRARY 

IV.  CHIVALRY  AND  ROMANCE    . 
V.  THE  CARE  OF  BOOKS     , 

VI.  THE  CARE  OF  BOOKS  (Continued) 

VII.  BOOKS  OF  THE  COLLECTOR 

VIII.  A  PLEA  FOR  SPECIALISM      . 

IX.  A  PLEA  FOR  SPECIALISM  (Continued) 

INDEX 


PAGE 
I 

31 

58 
84 
106 
126 
160 
194 
230 
267- 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  BOOK-HUNTER  AT  HOME    .         .  frontispiece 

THE  PERON page     96 

THE  HALL  OF  THE  KNIGHTS               .  „     104 

THE  HOME-MADE  LIBRARY          .         .  „      128 


CHAPTER     I 

ADVENTURES  AMONG  BOOKS 

'  Thou  shalt  make  castels  thanne  in  Spayne.' 

Chaucer. 

T  is  a  sad  truth  that  bargains  are  met  with 
more  frequently  in  our  youth  than  in  our 
age.  The  sophist  may  argue  that  age  begets 
philosophy,  and  that  philosophy  contemns 
all  worldly  things ;  yet  certain  it  is  that  the 
book-hunter,  one  of  the  most  philosophical 
of  beings,  remains  on  the  look-out  for  bargains  to  the  very 
end  of  his  career.  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  fact  that  in  youth  alone 
do  we  make  those  great  bargains  which  lay  the  foundations 
of  our  careers  as  book-hunters. 

It  is  this  sad  truth  which  fosters  in  most  of  us  the  belief 
that  we  live  in  a  decadent  age,  and  that  the  days  of  our  youth 
were  infinitely  more  seemly  than  those  which  we  now  endure. 
But  it  is  we  who  have  changed :  the  bargains  are  still  there, 
and  may  still  be  had  at  the  cost  of  youthful  energy  and 
enthusiasm. 

*  Ah,  but  you  can't  get  the  bargains  nowadays  that  you 
could  when  I  was  a  young  man,'  says  the  elderly  bookseller, 
with  a  knowing  shake  of  his  head.  Can't  you!  Then  man- 
kind must  have  changed  strangely  since  the  period  of  this 
sage's  youth.  Bargains,  and  rich  ones  too,  in  everything  that 
is  bought  and  sold,  are  made  every  day  and  will  continue  to 


2  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

be  made  so  long  as  human  nature  endures,  bargains  in  books 
no  less  among  them. 

The  rich  finds  of  which  the  aged  bookseller  dreams  are 
bargains  only  in  the  light  of  present-day  prices.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  great  majority  of  them  were  not  really  bargains 
at  all.  He  may  bitterly  lament  having  parted  with  a  copy  of 
the  first  edition  of  the  '  Compleat  Angler,*  in  the  'sixties  for 
twenty  guineas,  but  he  overlooks  the  fact  that  that  was  then 
its  market  value.  Had  he  asked  a  thousand  pounds  for  it, 
his  sanity  would  certainly  have  been  open  to  question.  '  Why, 
when  I  was  a  boy,'  he  says,  *  you  could  buy  first  editions  of 
Shelley,  Keats,  or  Scott  for  pence.'  Precisely:  which  was 
their  current  value  ;  by  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  can  they 
be  considered  bargains.  His  business  is,  and  has  always  been, 
to  buy  and  sell ;  not  to  hoard  books  on  the  chance  that  they 
will  become  valuable  '  some  day.'  Neither  can  it  be  urged 
that  '  people  '  (by  which  he  means  collectors)  *  did  not  know 
so  much  about  books  fifty  years  ago.'  Collectors  know,  and 
have  ever  known,  all  that  they  need  for  the  acquisition  of  their 
particular  desiderata.  If  they  were  ignorant  of  the  prices 
which  volumes  common  in  their  day  would  realise  at  some 
future  period,  why,  so  were  the  dealers  and  every  one  else 
concerned !  Judging  by  analogy,  we  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  many  volumes  which  we  come  across  almost  daily 
on  the  bookstalls,  marked,  perhaps,  a  few  pence,  will  be  fought 
for  one  day  across  the  auction-room  table. 

The  chief  reason  why  the  elderly  bookseller  no  longer  comes 
across  these  advantageous  purchases  is  that  he  has  passed 
the  age  (though  he  does  not  know  it)  at  which  bargains  are 
to  be  had.  But  bargains  are  not  encountered,  they  are  made. 
It  is  the  youthful  vigour  and  enthusiasm  of  the  young  collector, 
prompting  him  into  the  byways  and  alleys  of  book-land,  that 
bring  bargains  to  his  shelves. 

So,  if  you  are  young  and  enthusiastic,  and  not  to  be  deterred 
by  a  series  of  wild-goose  chases,  happy  indeed  will  be  your 
lot.     For  over  the  post-prandial  pipe  you  will  be  able  to  hand 


Adventures  among  Books  S 

such  and  such  a  treasure  to  your  admiring  fellow-spirit,  saying : 
'  This  I  picked  up  for  «-pence  in  Camden  Town ;  this  one 
cost  me  ;ir-shillings  at  Poynder's  in  Reading :  Iredale  of 
Torquay  let  me  have  this  for  a  florin ;  I  found  this  on  the 
floor  in  a  comer  of  Commin's  shop  at  Bournemouth  ;  this  was 
on  David's  stall  at  Cambridge,  and  I  nearly  lost  it  to  the  fat 
don  of  King's  '  ;  and  so  on  and  so  on. 

Bargains,  forsooth!  Our  book-hunter  was  once  outbid  at 
Sotheby's  for  a  scarce  volume  which  he  found,  a  week  later, 
on  a  barrow  in  Clerkenwell  for  fourpence !  The  same  year  he 
picked  up  for  ten  shillings,  in  London,  an  early  sixteenth- 
century  folio,  rubricated  and  with  illuminated  initials.  It  was 
as  fresh  as  when  it  issued  from  the  press,  and  in  the  original 
oak  and  pig-skin  binding.  He  failed  to  trace  the  work  in  any 
of  the  bibliographies,  nor  could  the  British  Museum  help  him 
to  locate  another  copy.  David's  stall  at  Cambridge  once 
yielded  to  him  a  scarce  Defoe  tract  for  sixpence.  But  this 
being,  as  Master  Pepys  said,  '  an  idle  rogueish  book,'  he  sold 
it  to  a  bookseller  for  two  pounds,  '  that  it  might  not  stand  in 
the  list  of  books,  nor  among  them,  to  disgrace  them,  if  it 
should  be  found.'  A  copy  has  recently  fetched  twenty 
guineas. 

Doubtless  every  bibliophile  is  perpetually  on  the  look-out 
for  treasures,  and  it  is  essential  that  he  learn,  early  in  his 
career,  to  make  up  his  mind  at  once  concerning  an  out-of-the- 
way  book.  He  who  hesitates  is  lost,  and  this  is  doubly  true 
of  the  book-collector.  More  than  once  in  his  early  days  of 
collecting  has  our  book-hunter  hesitated  and  finally  left  a 
book,  only  to  dash  back — perhaps  a  few  hours  later,  perhaps 
next  day — and  find  it  gone. 

Once  upon  a  time  a  spotlessly  clean  little  square  octavo 
volume  of  Terence,  printed  in  italics,  caught  his  eye  upon  a 
bookstall.  One  shilling  was  its  ransom,  but  it  was  not  the 
price  that  deterred  him  so  much  as  the  fact  that  every  available 
nook  and  corner  of  his  sanctum  was  already  filled  to  over- 
flowing with  books.     '  A  nice  clean  copy  of  an  early-printed 


4  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

book/  he  mused.  But  early-printed  books  were  not  in  his 
line — then ;  had  they  been  in  those  early  days  of  book- 
hunting,  his  library  would  have  been  slow  indeed  of  growth. 
So  he  passed  on  and  left  it. 

All  that  evening  the  memory  of  the  little  square  volume 
would  keep  recurring  most  absurdly.  He  didn't  want  it,  it 
was  not  in  his  line,  he  would  never  read  it,  and  so  on  and  so  on. 
But  over  his  pipe  that  evening  the  colophon  *.  .  .  .  studio  & 
impensis  Philifpi  de  Giunta  florentini  .  .  .,  ijoj,'  came 
back  to  his  memory ;  he  must  have  been  mad  not  to  have 
bought  it  at  that  price,  and  such  a  fine  copy  too.  And  so  to 
bed,  sorely  harassed  in  his  bibliophilic  mind. 

Next  morning  he  awoke  sane  and  conscious  of  his  folly. 
An  early  visit  to  the  bookstall  followed,  but  the  little  volume 
had  gone  ;  and  it  was  not  comforting  to  leam  that  it  had  been 
sold  shortly  after  our  bookman  saw  it,  to  a  man  who  '  knew  a 
lot  about  that  kind  of  books.'  Let  us  hope  that  the  purchaser 
treasures  the  little  square  volume,  printed  in  itahcs,  as  much 
as  our  friend  would. 

What  poignant  memories  they  are,  these  memories  of  rare 
books  which  we  have  found  and  failed  to  secure!  Two 
prominent  instances  of  our  bookman's  folly  stand  out  with 
bitter  clearness,  ever  fresh  in  his  memory  as  a  reminder  of 
the  criminal  stupidity  of  procrastination.  One  was  an 
exceedingly  scarce  work  by  Lawrence  Humphrey,  entitled 
'  Optimates  sive  De  Nobilitate  eiusque  Antiqua  Origine,' 
printed  in  small  octavo  at  Basle  in  1560,  which  he  once  saw 
in  a  catalogue  for  five  shillings.  He  sent  for  it  three  days 
after  the  receipt  of  the  catalogue,  and  of  course  it  had  gone. 
The  other  was  an  unknown,  or  at  least  undescribed,  edition 
of  Osorio's  '  De  Gloria  et  Nobilitate,'  printed  at  Barcelona 
in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century.  He  lost  this  in  the 
same  manner,  at  two  shillings!  Perhaps,  however,  you  too 
have  been  guilty  of  these  lapses,  reader?  Semel  insanivimus 
omnes.  Experience  is  better  than  advice,  and  for  his  part  our 
l)Ook-hunter  will  not  be  caught  napping  again.     The  following 


^i 


Adventures  among  Books  5 

incident  will  show  you,  moreover,  that  it  is  not  always  safe  to 
order  books  from  a  catalogue  even  by  return  of  post. 

For  many  years  he  had  sccirched  in  vain  for  that  rarest  of 
all  English  heraldry  books  (though  not  properly  English,  for 
it  is  in  the  Latin  tongue),  the  '  De  Studio  Militari,  Libri 
Quatuor  '  of  Master  Nicholas  Upton.  It  was  edited  by  Sir 
Edward  Bysshe,  and  printed  in  folio  at  London  in  1654.  The 
numerous  booksellers  in  London  and  the  country  from  whom 
he  sought  it  had  never  seen  it ;  indeed,  most  of  them  were 
unaware  of  its  existence,  though  it  is  well  known  to  all  heralds. 

At  length,  coming  home  late  one  night,  our  book-hunter 
found  on  his  table  a  catalogue  from  a  bookseller  who  seems 
to  garner  more  out-of-the-way  books  than  any  of  his  fellows. 
His  catalogues  are  issued  very  frequently,  for  he  has  a  large 
and  quick  sale,  pricing  most  of  his  wares  at  less  than  five 
shillings.  Moreover,  the  fact  that  the  books  described  therein 
are  thrown  together  without  any  attempt  at  classification,  even 
alphabetical,  serves  but  to  add  a  zest  to  the  repast.  But  our 
book-hunter  was  tired,  and  his  evil  star  was  in  the  ascendant, 
for  he  went  to  bed  leaving  the  catalogue  unopened. 

Reading  it  over  a  late  breakfast  next  morning,  upon  the  last 
page  he  came  across  the  following  entry :  — 

Uptoni  (Nich.)  De  Studio  Militari.  Johan  de  Bade  Aureo, 
Tractatus  de  Armis.  Henrici  Spelmanni  Aspilogia.  Folio, 
calf.     Scarce.     8s. 6d. 

Scarce,  indeed!  In  less  than  five  minutes  he  was  driving 
hot-haste  to  the  shop. 

Of  course  it  was  sold :  sold  by  telegram  dispatched  the 
night  before.  He  was  allowed  to  see  it,  even  to  handle  it, 
and  he  frankly  confesses  that  murderous  thoughts  rose  within 
him  as  he  held  it  in  his  hands.  .  .  .  The  bookseller  was  an  old 
man  .  .  .  the  shop  was  very  dark  .  .  .  just  a  push,  and 
perhaps  one  firm  apphcation  super  caput  of  a  large-paper  copy 
of  Camden's  '  Britannia  '  which  lay  handy  upon  the  table. 
.  .  .  But  I  am  glad  to  say  that  our  bookman's  better  nature 
prevailed,   and   sorrowfully   he   returned   the   volume  to   the 


6  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

dealer's  hands.  Did  he  know  the  customer,  and  if  so  would 
he  try  to  buy  it  back  ?  Certainly  he  would.  A  week  later 
came  a  letter  saying  that  the  customer  was  cJso  a  collector 
of  these  things,  but  that  he  was  willing  to  part  with  it  '  at  a 
price.'  Unfortunately  his  price  was  not  our  book-hunter's, 
and  he  failed  to  secure  the  treasure — then. 

Now  comes  the  more  pleasant  sequel.  About  a  year  later, 
coming  home  in  the  small  hours  from  a  dance,  our  bookman 
found  a  catalogue  from  this  same  bookseller  on  his  table. 
Although  tired  out,  his  previous  bitter  experience  had  taught 
him  a  lesson ;  so  pulling  up  a  chair  before  the  remains  of  the 
fire  he  proceeded  to  skim  through  the  catalogue.  He  had 
reached  the  last  page,  and  was  already  beginning  to  nod, 
when  suddenly  his  weariness  vanished  in  a  flash  :  he  was  wide 
awake  and  on  his  feet  in  an  instant,  for  his  eyes  had  met  the 
same  entry  that  had  thrilled  him  a  year  ago.  This  time  it 
was  described  as  *  very  scarce,'  and  the  price  was  considerably 
enhanced  ;  but  he  had  his  coat  on  and  was  in  the  street  almost 
immediately. 

The  nearest  telegraph  office  likely  to  be  open  at  such  an 
hour  was  a  mile  away,  and  it  was  a  miserable  night,  snowing 
and  blowing ;  but  no  weather  would  have  deterred  him.  So 
the  telegram  was  safely  dispatched,  and  he  returned  to  bed, 
pinning  a  notice  on  the  bedroom  door  to  the  effect  that  he 
was  to  be  called,  without  fail,  at  seven  o'clock. 

That  night  he  was  obsessed  by  Uptons  of  all  shapes  and 
sizes.  Some  he  beheld  with  agony,  cut  down  by  the  ruthless 
binder  to  duodecimo  size ;  others  there  were  no  larger  than 
Pickering's  Diamond  Classics ;  some  (on  his  chest)  were  of  a 
size  which  I  can  only  describe  as  '  Atlas,'  or,  perhaps  more 
appropriately,  '  Elephant  Folio,'  large-paper  copies  with 
hideous  margins. 

Next  morning  our  bookman  was  at  the  shop  betimes.  Yes ! 
his  wire  had  arrived  ;  Upton  was  his  at  last !  Should  the 
dealer  send  it  for  him  by  carrier  ?  Carrier,  forsooth !  As  well 
entrust  the  Koh-i-noor  to  a  messenger  boy.     Of  course  it  was 


Adventures  among  Books  7 

the  same  copy  that  our  friend  had  missed  previously,  the 
owner  having  sold  his  books  en  bloc  in  the  meantime. 

Why  Upton  is  so  scarce  it  is  hard  to  say ;  perhaps  very  few 
copies  were  printed,  or  perhaps  a  fire  at  the  printer's  destroyed 
most  of  them.  Certain  it  is  that  the  premises  of  James  Allestry 
and  Roger  Norton,  who  published  the  book,  were  both  burnt 
in  the  great  fire  twelve  years  after  its  publication.  Besides 
the  two  copies  in  the  British  Museum,  there  are  examples 
of  it  in  several  of  the  ancient  librciries  throughout  the 
kingdom ;  but  it  is  very  rarely  indeed  to  be  met  with  in  the 
London  salerooms.*  Dallaway  mentions  two  copies  as  being, 
in  1793,  in  the  library  of  Lord  Carlisle  at  Naworth  ;  and 
probably  there  are  examples  in  some  of  the  libraries  of  our 
older  nobility.  There  would  seem  to  be  copies,  also,  in 
France  ;  for  several  writers  upon  chivalry,  such  as  La  Roque 
and  Sainte  Marie,  make  mention  of  it  The  writer  bought  a 
portion  of  it,  some  forty-eight  pages,  a  few  years  ago  for  four 
shillings.  But  take  heart,  brother  bibliophile ;  it  is  quite 
possible  that  you  may  unearth  a  copy  some  day — if  indeed 
the  book  be  in  your  line — long  buried  in  the  dust  of  some  old 
country  bookshop. 

Upton  died  in  1457,  and  his  work  was  so  popular  that 
numerous  copies  of  the  manuscript  were  made.  The  treatise 
on  coat-armour,  or  '  cootarmuris,'  as  it  is  quaintly  spelt,  which 
comprises  the  third  part  of  the  *  Book  of  Saint  Albans  '  (first 
printed  in  1486),  is,  for  the  greater  part,  a  literal  translation 
of  the  second  half  of  the  fourth  book  of  the  '  De  Studio 
Militari  '  as  printed  by  Bysshe.  Ames,  in  his  '  Typographical 
Antiquities,'  asserts  that  Upton's  work  was  reprinted  from 

*  Apparently  there  is  only  one  copy  of  Upton's  work  in  the  United  States 
at  present — that  which  was  formerly  in  the  Huth  Library.  It  was  purchased 
at  Sotheby's  in  July,  1920,  by  a  well-known  New  York  dealer,  Mr.  G.  D. 
Smith,  for  ten  guineas,  the  writer  of  these  lines  being  the  underbidder.  Mr. 
Smith  had  sent  "  an  unlimited  commission  "  to  secure  it.  An  announcement 
in  The  Bookman's  Journal  (1920)  asking  for  information  respecting  other 
copies  elicited  but  one  response. 

Since  writing  the  above,  the  author  has  secured  the  splendid  presentation 
copy  given  by  Upton's  editor  (Bysshe)  to  the  great  Parliamentary  leader,  Sir 
Humphrey  Mackworth,  of  Neath,  in  Glamorganshire.  It  had  remained  at 
Glen  Uike  until  the  dispersal  of  the  Mackworth  Library  in  1920. 


8  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  St.  Albans  book  in  folio,  1496,  '  with  the  King's  Arms  and 
Caxton's  mark  printed  in  red  ink.'  But  he  gives  no  authority 
for  his  assertion,  and  it  seems  doubtful  whether  such  a  volume 
ever  existed.  At  all  events  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any 
trace  of  such  a  book  beyond  this  mention,  and  Herbert,  editing 
Ames,  omitted  the  whole  passage.  Hain,*  probably  copying 
Ames,  calls  this  supposititious  work  '  De  Re  Heraldica,'  and 
states  that  it  was  printed  at  Westminster  in  1496  '  Anglice.' 
So  much  for  worthy  Master  Nicholas,  Canon  of  Salisbury  and 
protege  of  the  *  good  duke  Humfrey.' 

There  is  a  curious  phenomenon  of  not  infrequent  occurrence 
among  book-collectors,  and  that  is  the  enforced  acquisition  of 
certain  volumes  solely  by  means  of  the  passive  persuasion  of 
their  presence.  In  other  words,  it  is  possible  to  bully  the 
bibliophile  into  purchasing  a  book  merely  by  obtruding  it 
continually  before  his  gaze,  till  at  length  its  very  presence 
becomes  a  source  of  annoyance  to  him.  To  escape  from  this 
incubus  he  purchases  the  volume. 

In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  books  so  acquired  never  attain  the 
same  status  as  their  fellow-volumes.  They  are  invariably 
assigned  either  to  the  lowest  or  topmost  shelves  of  the  library, 
and  are,  in  fact,  pariahs.  Their  owner  did  not  really  want 
them,  and  he  can  never  quite  forgive  their  presence  on  his 
shelves.  Generally  their  stay  in  any  one  home  is  not  a  long 
one,  for  they  are  weeded  out  at  the  first  opportunity,  and  find 
no  permanent  rest  until  they  come  finally  to  that  ultimate 
goal  of  books,  the  paper  mills..  I  confess  that  in  my  early 
days  of  collecting  this  phenomenon  was  of  not  infrequent 
occurrence,  being  associated,  probably,  with  the  indecision  of 
youth.  And  in  this  connection  a  bookseller  once  told  me  an 
interesting  story. 

A  certain  young  man  of  the  working  class,  on  his  way  to 
work  every  day,  used  to  pass  a  bookstall  situated  in  a  narrow 
alley.  Every  day  he  glanced  at  the  books,  and  as  custom 
was  scanty  he  would  notice  what  books  were  sold  and  with 

*  No.  16096.     See  page  164. 


Adventures  among  Books  9 

what  works  the  bookseller  filled  the  empty  places  on  the 
shelves.  In  this  way  all  of  the  books  which  the  young  man 
had  first  noticed  gradually  disappeared,  with  one  exception. 
This  was  a  volume  bound  in  calf,  containing  some  rather 
curious  poems,  and  no  one  seemed  to  want  it  At  length, 
after  some  weeks,  the  young  man  could  stand  it  no  longer. 
He  approached  the  bookseller,  and  for  sixpence  the  volume 
became  his. 

The  verses  seemed  to  him  rather  poor,  though  one  entitled 
'  Hans  Carvel '  amused  him  rather.  The  title-page  bore  the 
date  1707,  and  he  wondered  who  was  the  '  E.  Curll  at  the 
Peacock  without  Temple-Bar,'  for  whom  the  work  was  printed. 
Some  time  afterwards  he  read  in  the  newspaper  that  a  certain 
book  had  been  sold  for  a  large  sum  because  of  a  misprint  in  it. 
This  set  him  wondering  ...  'at  the  Peacock  without 
Temple-Bar  .  .  .'  Temple-Bar  without  a  peacock  he  could 
imagine  :  surely  this  was  a  misprint !  Perhaps  the  book  was 
valuable,  and  others  had  not  '  spotted  '  the  error ! 

And  now  he  bethought  him  of  an  acquaintance  who  kept 
a  bookshop  in  the  West  End  of  the  town,  a  man  who  knew 
a  lot  about  old  books.  He  would  take  it  to  him  and  ask  his 
advice.  So,  one  Saturday  afternoon  he  carried  his  '  treasure  ' 
to  the  shop  in  question.  Inside,  an  elderly  man  was  examining 
a  calf-bound  volume. 

'.  .  .  the  first  authentic  edition,  seventeen  hundred  and 
nine,'  he  was  saying. 

The  young  man  glanced  at  the  volume  under  discussion, 
and  as  a  page  was  turned  he  caught  sight  of  the  heading 
'  Hans  Carvel.'  Good  gracious ;  this  volume  was  the  same 
as  his!  Just  then  the  elderly  man  looked  up,  and  the  young 
fellow  handed  his  volume  to  the  bookseller,  saying :  '  Here's 
another  one,  same  as  that,  but  mine's  got  something  wrong 
on  the  front  page.' 

The  bookseller  opened  the  newcomer's  volume,  looked  at 
the  title-page,  and  handed  it  without  a  word  to  his  customer, 
who  took  it  with  a  look  of  surprise. 


10  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

'  Something  wrong? '  said  he,  '  why,  bless  me,  what's  this 
— 1707 — that  rascal  Curll's  edition — where  did  you  get 
this?' 

The  young  man  told  him,  adding  that  he  gave  sixpence 
for  it. 

'  Sixpence,  did  you?  '  said  the  connoisseur  ;  *  well,  I'll  give 
you  six  guineas  for  it '  .-  which  he  did,  there  and  then. 

It  was  a  copy  of  the  rare  *  pirated  '  collection  of  his  poems, 
published  without  Matt  Prior's  knowledge,  some  two  years 
before  the  first  authentic  edition  appeared.  Some  years  later, 
when  the  elderly  collector  died,  this  volume  came  to  the 
saleroom  with  the  rest  of  his  books.  It  realised  forty  pounds ! 
So  much  for  the  ugly  duckling. 

What  an  absorbing  topic  is  that  of  '  lost  books  ' !  There 
is  a  fascination  about  the  subject  that  every  bibliophile  must 
have  experienced.  *  Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human 
breast,'  and  it  is  impossible  to  read  of  books  long  lost  without 
making  a  mental  note  of  their  titles  in  the  hope  that  some 
day  we  may  come  across  them.  Perhaps  it  is  these  memories, 
pigeon-holed  in  our  mind,  that  add  a  zest  to  anticipation 
whenever  we  go  book-hunting  on  our  travels.  But  alas!  the 
reward  for  the  bibliophile's  hope  in  this  direction  is  rare  as 
the  blossoming  of  the  aloe. 

It  is  curious  to  think  of  the  thousands  of  books  that  have 
completely  disappeared.  Nowadays  the  Act  which  assures 
the  preservation  in  our  greater  libraries  of  every  book  pub- 
lished in  this  country  will  doubtless  prevent  the  disappearance 
of  a  good  many  English  books  of  lesser  importance,  such  as 
school  books  and  other  works  that  are  quickly  superseded. 
But  before  the  passing  of  this  Act  there  was  nothing  to 
prevent  an  unpopular  or  useless  work  from  becoming  extinct, 
and  vast  numbers  must  have  disappeared  in  this  country  alone. 
There  are  many  books,  however,  important  books  even,  and 
books  which  we  know  to  have  been  immensely  popular  in 
their  day,  of  which  so  much  as  a  glimpse  has  been  denied  us. 
The  1606  octavo  of  '  The  Passionate  Pilgrim,'  the  first  issue 


Adventures  among  Boohs  11 

of  John  Barclay's  satirical  romance  '  Euphormionis  Lusinini 
Satyricon,'  published  at  London  in  1003,  the  '  Famous 
Historic  of  the  V^ertuous  and  Godly  Woman  Judith,'  London, 
1565  (of  which  a  title-page  has  been  preserved),  what  would 
not  every  book-collector  give  for  copies  of  these  ? 

Then  there  are  such  early-printed  works  as  Caxton's 
translation  of  the  Metamorphoses  of  Ovid,  probably  published 
by  him  about  1480,  '  The  Life  of  St.  Margaret '  (known  by 
three  leaves  preserved  in  the  Bodleian),  the  '  goste  of  guido  * 
or  Ghost  of  Guy,  and  the  Epitaph  of  the  King  of  Scotland, 
all  printed  by  Pynson,  as  well  as  that  mysterious  volume 
ycleped  '  The  Nigramansir,'  said  to  be  by  John  Skelton  the 
poet-laureate  who  lived  under  five  kings  and  died  in  1529. 
Many  of  Skelton 's  works,  perhaps  even  the  majority  of  his 
writings,  are  known  to  us  by  title  and  hearsay  alone  ;  but  who 
shall  say  that  his  '  Speculum  Principis,'  or  '  the  Commedy 
Achademios  callyd  by  name,'  which  he  himself  mentions,  are 
lost  beyond  all  hope  of  recovery  ?  '  The  Nigramansir  '  was 
actually  seen  by  Thomas  Wcu-ton,  the  poet-laureate,  in  the 
'fifties  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  is  described  by  him  in 
some  detail.  His  account  is  so  interesting  that  it  deserves 
quoting. 

'  I  cannot  quit  Skelton,'  he  writes,  '  without  restoring  to 
the  public  notice  a  play,  or  MORALITY,  written  by  him,  not 
recited  in  any  catalogue  of  his  works,  or  annals  of  English 
typography  ;  and,  I  believe,  at  present  totally  unknown  to  the 
antiquarians  in  this  sort  of  literature.  It  is,  The  NIGRAMANSIR, 
a  moral  I  ENTERLUDE  and  a  pit  hie  written  by  Maister 
SKELTON  laureate  and  plaid  before  the  king  and  other 
estatys  at  Woodstock  on  Palme  Sunday.  It  was  printed  by 
Wynkin  de  Worde  in  a  thin  quarto,  in  the  year  1504.' 

Against  this  Warton  makes  the  following  note :  '  My 
lamented  friend  Mr.  William  Collins  ....  shewed  me  this 
piece  at  Chichester,  not  many  months  before  his  death  (Collins 
died  in  1759),  and  he  pointed  it  out  as  a  very  rare  and  valuable 
curiosity.  He  intended  to  write  the  History  of  the  Restoration 


12  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

of  Learning  under  Leo  the  Tenth,  and  with  a  view  to  that 
design  had  collected  many  scarce  books.  Some  few  of  these 
fell  into  my  hands  at  his  death.  The  rest,  among  which,  I 
suppose,  was  this  Interlude,  were  dispersed.' 

Warton  then  goes  on  to  describe  the  book  in  detail,  and 
this  circumstance,  together  with  the  fact  that  he  quotes  one 
of  the  stage  directions  ('  enter  Balsebub  with  a  Berde  ')  seems 
to  point  to  the  fact  that  he  actually  had  the  volume  in  his 
hands.  It  concerned  the  trial  of  Simony  and  Avarice,  with 
the  Devil  as  Judge.  '  The  characters  are  a  Necromancer  or 
Conjurer,  the  Devil,  a  Notary  Public,  Simonie,  and  Philargyria 
or  Avarice.  .  .  .  There  is  no  sort  of  propriety  in  calling  this 
play  the  Necromancer :  for  the  only  business  and  use  of  this 
character  is  to  open  the  subject  in  a  long  prologue.'* 
Unfortunately  there  is  no  other  mention  of  this  interesting 
work,  and  of  recent  years  its  very  existence  has  been  doubted. 

'  It  was  at  Chichester,'  wrote  Hazlitt,  '  that  the  poet  Collins 
brought  together  a  certain  number  of  early  books,  some  of 
the  first  rarity ;  his  name  is  found,  too,  in  the  sale  catalogues 
of  the  last  century  as  a  buyer  of  such ;  and  the  strange  and 
regrettable  fact  is  that  two  or  three  items  which  Thomas 
Warton  actually  saw  in  his  hands,  and  of  which  there  are  no 
known  duplicates,  have  not  so  far  been  recovered.'  Mr. 
Gordon  Duff,  in  his  *  Enghsh  Provincial  Printers,*  mentions 
seventeen  books  described  by  Herbert  at  the  end  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  of  which  no  copies  are  now  known  to 
exist.  Another  rare  volume  is  known  to  have  existed  about 
the  same  time.  A  copy,  the  only  one  known,  of  '  The 
Fabulous  Tales  of  Esope  the  Phrygian  *  by  Robert  Henryson, 
published  at  London  in  1577,  was  formerly  in  the  library  of 
Syon  College ;  for  it  is  included  in  Reading's  catalogue  of 
that  college  library,  compiled  in  1724.  But  its  whereabouts 
is  now  unknown.  Fortunately  in  this  case  a  later  edition 
has  survived. 

*  Possibly  the  title  was  Nigromanser,  from  niger,  black,  and  manser,  a 
bastard. 


Adventures  among  Books  13 

Another  mysterious  volume  is  the  treatise  concerning 
Ehzabeth  Barton,  the  Maid  of  Kent,  who  was  burnt  at  Tyburn 
in  1534.  Cranmer,  describing  her  story  to  a  friend,  writes : 
'  and  a  boke  (was)  written  of  all  the  hole  storie  thereof,  and 
putt  into  prynte,  which  euer  syns  that  tyme  hath  byn 
comonly  sold  and  goone  abrod  amongs  all  people.'  From 
the  confession  of  John  Skot,  the  printer  of  this  work,  at  the 
trial,  it  seems  that  seven  hundred  copies  were  printed  ;  but  no 
copy  is  now  known  to  exist. 

Other  works  there  are  as  yet  unseen  by  bibliographer,  such 
as  Markham's  '  Thyrsis  and  Daphne,'  a  poem  printed  in  1593, 
and  the  1609  and  1612  quartos  of  Ben  Jonson's  *  Epicoene  or 
the  Silent  Woman.'  This  last  was  seen  by  William  Gifford  a 
century  ago,  but  neither  is  now  known  to  exist.  Or  is  a  copy 
extant  of  Horace's  '  Art  of  Poetry  '  english'd  by  Jonson  and 
published  so  late  as  1640.  Alas !  the  list  of  works  by  '  rare 
Ben  Jonson  '  now  lost  to  us,  it  is  feared,  for  ever,  is  quite  a 
lengthy  one.  Who  has  seen  the  original  issue  of  *  Gude  and 
Godlie  Ballatis,'  printed  at  Edinburgh  in  1546  ?  Of  this  book 
it  has  been  said  that,  after  the  Bible,  it  did  more  for  the 
spread  of  Reformation  doctrines  in  Scotland  than  any  other 
volume ;  so  presumably  a  fairly  large  edition  was  printed. 

That  the  editions  of  some  of  these  early-printed  books,  now 
with  us  no  more,  were  of  considerable  size  may  be  judged  from 
contemporary  evidence  of  their  widespread  popularity. 
Speaking  of  the  '  Morte  d' Arthur,'  Mr.  E.  G.  Duff  remarks : 
'  Of  the  popularity  of  the  book  we  have  striking  evidence. 
Of  Caxton's  edition  two  copies  are  known,  of  which  one  is 
imperfect.*    The  second  edition,  printed  by  Wynkin  de  Worde 

*  The  perfect  copy  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Pierpont  Morgan  at  the  sale  of 
the  Hoe  Library,  in  191 1,  for  ^^8,560.  It  formed  originally  one  of  the 
twenty-two  Caxtons  which  were  dispersed  in  1698  with  the  library  of  Dr. 
Francis  Bernard,  Physician  to  King  James  the  Second,  when  it  realised  two 
and  tenpence  !  It  became  the  property  of  the  great  Robert  Harley,  Earl  of 
Oxford,  and  was  acquired  later  by  the  Countess  of  Jersey  for  two  and  a 
half  guineas.  Passing  thus  into  the  Osterley  Park  collection,  it  was  pur- 
chased, when  that  library  was  sold  in  1885,  by  Bernard  Quaritch  for  ;^i,950, 
becoming  the  property,  the  same  year,  of  Mrs.  Abby  E.  Pope,  of  Brooklyn, 
U.S.A. 


14  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

in  1498,  is  known  from  one  copy  only,  which  is  imperfect ; 
while  the  third  edition,  also  printed  by  de  Worde  is,  again, 
only  known  from  one  imperfect  copy.  It  may  well  be, 
considering  these  facts,  that  there  were  other  intervening 
editions  which  have  entirely  disappeared.' 

Of  the  thirteen  early  editions  of  Shakespeare's  '  Venus  and 
Adonis  '  only  twenty-two  copies  have  so  far  been  traced.  Yet 
if  each  of  these  editions  comprised  only  250  copies,  the  tale 
of  survivors  is  not  large  out  of  a  total  of  3,250.  '  Printers  and 
publishers  .  .  .  strained  their  resources  to  satisfy  the  demands 
of  eager  purchasers,'  remarks  Sir  Sidney  Lee ;  so  presumably 
the  estimate  of  250  per  edition  is  a  conservative  one. 

Where  are  these  volumes  now?  It  is  difficult  to  believe 
they  have  been  utterly  destroyed,  leaf  by  leaf,  so  that  no 
vestige  of  them  any  longer  exists.  Surely  they  will  turn  up 
at  an  auction  sale  some  day,  for  they  may  well  be  safely 
ensconced,  at  this  very  moment,  on  the  shelves  of  some 
neglected  country  library.  Mr.  Duff  himself  records  the 
discovery    recently    of    a    copy    of    Caxton's    *  Speculum,' 

*  amongst  some  rubbish  in  the  offices  of  a  solicitor  at 
Birkenhead.* 

What  a  vast  number  of  books  there  is,  also,  of  which  only 
one  copy  is  known  to  exist.  Of  the  early  editions  of 
Shakespeare's  plays  alone,  more  than  a  dozen  are  known  by 
solitary  examples.     Of  such  books  Hazlitt  remarks  that  he 

*  has  met  in  the  course  of  a  lengthened  career  with  treasures 
which  would  make  a  small  library,  and  has  beheld  no 
duplicates.'  Probably  many  of  these  incognita  and  rarissijiia 
perished  in  the  great  fire  of  London ;  others  again  met  their 
fate  solely  through  their  own  popularity,  being  '  thumbed  ' 
to  pieces.  In  1494  Pynson  thought  well  enough  to  reprint 
Caxton's  '  Book  of  Good  Manners  *  ;  but  of  this  once  popular 
book  one  copy  only — that  which  was  formerly  in  the  Amherst 
Library — now  survives. 

Then  there  is  that  ancient  romance  of  European  popularity 
'  The  four  Sons  of  Aymon.'       One  of  the  great  cycle  of 


Adventures  among  Books  15 

Charlemagne  romances,  such  was  its  popularity  that  by  the 
end  of  the  thirteenth  century  it  had  penetrated  even  to  Iceland. 
Many  and  various  were  the  editions  that  issued  from  the  early 
presses.  Caxton  printed  it  about  1489,  but  of  this  thick 
quarto  impression  one  imperfect  copy  only  has  survived.  A 
second  edition,  as  we  learn  from  the  colophon  of  the  third 
edition,  was  '  imprinted  at  London  by  Wynken  de  Worde,  the 
viii  daye  of  Maye,  and  the  year  of  our  lorde  M.CCCCC.  iiii  '  ; 
but  a  solitary  leaf,  discovered  in  the  binding  of  an  ancient 
book,  is  the  sole  representative  of  an  edition  that  ran 
probably  into  several  hundreds. 

In  the  case  of  some  at  least  of  these  early  books  there  is 
another  reason  for  their  disappearance  and  scarcity.  Stephen 
Vaughan,  the  indefatigable  agent  of  Mr.  Secretary  Cromwell, 
writing  to  his  master  from  Antwerp,  mentions  that  he  is 
'  muche  desirous  t'atteyne  the  knowlage  of  the  Frenche 
tonge,'  but  tliat  he  is  unable  to  obtain  a  copy  of  the  only 
primer  which  he  knows  to  exist.  This  volume,  called 
'  L'Esclarcissement  de  la  Langue  Francoyse,'  was  '  compose 
par  Maistre  Jehan  Palsgraue,  Angloys,  natyf  de  Londres  et 
gradue  de  Paris,'  and  was  printed  by  Pynson,  though  it  was 
finished  and  published  by  Hawkins  in  1530. 

Palsgrave,  the  author,  seems  to  have  been  determined  that 
his  book  should  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  other  teachers  of 
French  (he  was  *  scolemaster  '  to  the  Princess  Mary,  sister  of 
Henry  vill.,  in  1513,  at  a  stipend  of  £6  13s.  4d.) ;  and 
although  Vaughan  writes  that  he  '  made  not  a  letle  labour 
to  Mr.  Palsgrave  to  have  one  of  his  books,'  yet  '  in  no  wise 
he  wolde  graunt  for  no  price.'  So  Vaughan  entreats  Thomas 
Cromwell  to  obtain  a  copy  for  him,  '  not  doubtyng  but  though 
he  unkyndly  denyd  me  one,  he  will  not  denye  youe  one.' 

Apparently  Palsgrave  had  entered  into  some  kind  of 
arrangement  with  the  printer,  for  Vaughan  writes  that  he 
'  hathe  willed  Pynson  to  sell  none  of  them  to  any  other  person 
than  to  suche  as  he  shall  comaunde  to  have  them,  lest  his. 
proffit  by  teching  the  Frenche  tonge  myght  be  mynished  by 


16  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  sale  of  the  same  to  suche  persons  as,  besids  hym,  wem 
disposed  to  studye  the  sayd  tongue.' 

From  this  premise  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  '  L'Esclar- 
cissement '  is  such  a  rare  book.  Very  few  copies  indeed  are 
known  to  exist.  Yet  one  cannot  help  wondering  what  became 
of  the  copies  that  had  not  been  disposed  of  at  the  author's 
death.  Possibly  a  very  small  number  was  printed,  and  perhaps 
'  Johan  Haukyns,'  faithful  to  his  pact,  destroyed  those  on 
hand.  That  the  book  was  in  high  esteem  may  be  gathered 
from  the  fact  that,  in  spite  of  his  rebuff,  Vaughan  says :  '  If  I 
had  one,  I  wolde  no  less  exteme  it  then  a  Jewell.'  The  letter 
ends  with  a  delightful  burst  of  ingenuousness.  '  Syr,  I 
remember  Mr.  Palsgrave  gave  youe  one  of  his  books,  which 
if  it  please  you  to  geve  me  I  wer  muche  bounde  to  youe.' 
Whether  he  obtained  a  copy  in  the  end  history  does  not 
relate ;  but  if  our  book-hunter  is  ever  so  fortunate  as  to  come 
across  one,  like  Vaughan  he  will  certainly  '  no  less  exteme  it 
then  a  Jewell.' 

Very  many,  indeed  the  vast  majority,  of  the  popular 
jest-books  which  appeared  in  such  numbers  during  Queen 
Ehzabeth's  reign  are  now  lost  to  us.  Some  are  known  by 
later  quotation  of  their  titles,  others  by  later  editions,  such 
as  '  The  Life  of  Long  Meg  of  Westminster,'  '  A  Lytle  and 
Bryefe  Treatyse  called  the  Defence  of  Women,'*  etc.  But 
these  were  small  volumes  of  few  pages,  and  were  doubtless 
considered  as  little  worthy  of  preservation  as  is  the  modem 
*  penny  dreadful.'  '  But,  when  we  consider  how  very  many 
of  these  early  books  have  come  down  to  our  time  only  in 
single  copies  or  even  fragments  out  of  an  edition  of  some 
hundreds,  it  is  only  natural  to  suppose  that  a  great  number 
must  have  utterly  disappeared.'  t 

It  is  not  for  want  of  enterprise  that  so  many  of  these  books 
have  not  so  far  been  recovered.  The  smaller  and  more 
remote    towns,    even    villages,    of    these    islands    and    the 

*  By  Edward  More  of  Hambledon,  Bucks.         t  Mr.  E.  G.  DufiF. 


Adventures  among  Books  17 

Continent  have  been,  and  are  being,  ransacked  by  dealers 
as  well  as  collectors.  The  number  of  works  hitherto 
undescribed  that  has  been  brought  to  light  during  the  last 
sixty  years  must  be  considerable ;  and  one  still  hears  every 
now  and  then  of  some  rich  trover  that  has  been  unearthed. 
In  1887  a  small  octavo  manuscript  volume,  in  a  worn  brown 
binding,  was  offered  at  the  end  of  a  sale  at  Sotheby's.  It  had 
stood,  for  how  long  no  man  knows,  on  the  shelf  of  a  small 
parish  library  in  Suffolk ;  and  it  was  offered  for  sale 
'  presumably  as  being  unreadable  to  country  folk,  and  capable 
of  being  turned  into  hard  cash  wherewith  a  few  works  of 
fiction  might  be  purchased.'  Acquired  by  the  Bodleian 
Library  for  £6,  it  proved,  by  perhaps  one  of  the  most  romantic 
chains  of  evidence  ever  attached  to  a  book,*  to  be  the  favourite 
devotional  volume  and  constant  companion  of  Saint  Margaret, 
Queen  of  Scotland,  who  died  in  1093.  It  was  not  until  1905 
that  the  original  quarto  edition  (1594)  of  Shakespeare's  '  Titus 
Andronicus  *  was  known  to  exist,  when  a  copy  was  discovered 
and  sold  for  £2000. 

Books  travel  far  afield.  At  the  dissolution  of  the 
monasteries  the  rich  libraries  that  many  of  them  possessed 
were  scattered  far  and  wide.  One  of  these  religious  houses 
was  famed  for  its  rich  store  of  books  ;  and  that  the  report  was 
not  exaggerated  we  know  from  its  ancient  library  catalogue, 
still  extant.  In  this  case  some  of  the  books  were  taken  by 
the  inmates  with  them  into  exile  in  Flanders ;  and  when  the 
small  community  migrated  thence  to  Portugal,  the  precious 
tomes  were  carried  reverently  with  them.  A  fire  at  their 
convent  in  1651  destroyed  a  large  number  of  the  volumes, 
and  when  some  of  the  nuns  returned  to  England  in  1809  they 
brought  the  remaining  books  with  them.  Some  were  sold, 
but  three  cases  of  these  ancient  books  were  sent  back  to  the 
nuns  who  stayed  behind  in  Portugal,  and  of  these  cases  two 
were  lost  in  transit. 

*  For  this  romantic  story  see  Books  in  Manuscript,  by  Mr.  Falconer  Madan, 
8vo,  1893,  p.   107  et  seq. 


18  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

London,  however,  has  always  been  the  centre  of  book 
production  in  this  country,  and  it  is  there  that  any  existing 
copies  of  these  forgotten  books  are  most  likely  to  re-appear. 
Was  not  a  priceless  manuscript,  a  Household  Book  of  the 
Black  Prince,  discovered  only  a  few  years  ago  in  the  office  of 
a  city  lawyer?  Once,  in  the  course  of  his  rambles  by  the 
bookstalls  of  the  Farringdon  Road,*  our  book-hunter  caught 
a  glimpse  of  an  old  box  almost  covered  by  books  and  prints 
on  one  of  the  stalls.  Being  unearthed,  it  proved  to  be  a 
veritable  gem  of  a  trunk,  about  two  feet  by  one,  and  nine 
inches  deep.  It  had  a  convex  lid,  and  was  covered  with 
shaggy  horsehide,  bound  with  heavily  studded  leather.  The 
proprietor  stated  that  he  had  found  it  in  a  cellar,  full  of  old 
books,  most  of  which  had  already  been  sold  (his  listener 
promptly  pictured  Caxtons  among  them)  ;  and  he  was  amused 
to  think  that  any  one  could  be  so  foolish  as  to  offer  him  two 
shillings  for  such  a  dirty  old  box.  However,  it  was  carried 
home  in  triumph,  regardless  of  the  great  interest  shown  by 
fellow-travellers  in  the  train.  A  year  or  two  ago  the  same 
vender  produced  a  similar  trunk,  rather  larger,  which  was  full 
of  ancient  deeds  relating  to  property  in  Clerkenwell.  These 
he  sold  for  a  shilling  or  two  shillings  apiece,  according  to  size 
and  seals.  The  box  was  larger  than  our  bookman  wanted, 
but  apparently  it  soon  found  a  purchaser. 

Surely  such  instances  must  be  common  in  this  great  city, 
and  many  a  trunk  must  yet  linger  in  cellars  and  attics  in  the 
old  parts  of  the  town.  Not  many  years  ago  our  book-hunter 
chanced  to  visit  an  ancient  house  at  the  end  of  a  small  court 
off  Fleet  Street.  Inside,  it  seemed  to  be  entirely  lined  with 
oak  planking,  and  it  was  occupied,  or  at  least  that  part  into 
which  he  penetrated  was,  by  a  printer  in  a  small  way  of 
business.  The  staircase  was  magnificent,  of  massive  coal- 
black  oak ;  and  when  our  book-hunter  remarked  upon  it,  the 


*  Book-collectors  always  speak  of  The  Farringdon  Road ;  why,  I  know  not, 
but  the  definite  article  certainly  gives  it  an  old-world  tang. 


Adventures  among  Books  19 

printer  informed  him  he  had  discovered  that  the  house  had 
once  been  the  town  residence  of  a  famous  bishop  of  Tudor 
times.*  How  the  occupant  discovered  this  fact  our  bookman 
does  not  remember ;  possibly  the  house  is  well  known  to 
antiquaries,  and  the  occupier  may  have  read  about  it  or  have 
been  told  by  the  previous  tenant.  But  it  is  also  within  the 
bounds  of  possibility  that  he  unearthed  some  deed  or  papers 
relating  to  the  premises.  It  is  strange,  too,  that  one  of  the 
few  letters  of  this  bishop  which  have  been  preserved  refers  to 
books.  '  Ye  promised  unto  me,  long  agone,'  he  writes  to 
Secretary  Cromwell,  *  the  Triumphes  of  Petrarche  in  the 
Ytalion  tonge.  I  hartely  pray  you  at  this  tyme  by  this 
beyrer,  ...  to  sende  me  the  said  Boke  with  some  other  at 
your  deuotion  ;  and  especially,  if  it  please  you,  the  boke 
called  Cortigiano  in  Ytalion.' t 

There  must  be  many  such  houses  still  extant  in  London, 
and  who  knows  what  there  may  be  in  their  long-disused 
attics?  Hidden  away  in  the  darkness  beneath  their  tiles, 
between  joists  and  under  the  eaves,  it  is  possible  that  books 
till  now  unknown  to  us,  by  sight  at  least,  may  still  exist. 
Or  who  has  explored  the  lumber  accumulated  in  many  u 
disused  cellar  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  Mansion  House  ? 
The  very  existence  of  the  trunks  which  we  have  mentioned 
proves  that  such  things  do  still  linger  in  the  nooks  and 
crannies  of  this  great  city. 

And  I  would  not  confine  my  surmise  in  this  direction  to 
London  alone.  Two  ancient  libraries  there  are,  one  in  the 
North  Countrie,  the  other  in  the  West,  that  to  my  certain 


*  Alas  for  romance !  Truth  compels  me  to  add  that  as  the  Great  Fire 
swept  across  this  very  court,  the  existing  house  must  date  at  earliest  from 
King  Charles'  reign.  But  the  site  and  tradition  as  to  its  former  owner  may 
well  be  true. 

fT/ie  Courtier,  by  Baldassare  Castiglione,  was  first  printed  at  Venice  in 
1528,  folio.  This  letter  was  written  by  the  fearless  churchman,  then  of 
Wolsey's  household,  on  the  great  Cardinal's  'last  lingering  journey  north.' 
There  is,  perhaps,  a  certain  significance  in  his  wish  to  study  a  volume  which 
treats  of  the  art  of  living  in  courts,  and  of  becoming  useful  and  agreeable  to 
princes,  for  he  was  shortly  to  transfer  his  services  to  a  royal  master. 


20  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

knowledge  have  never  been  explored  by  modern  bibliographer. 
The  latter  is  spurned  and  neglected,  the  books  are  deep  in 
dust  and  even  mildew ;  the  former  is  also  neglected,  but  at 
least  the  house  is  inhabited.  The  owner,  an  old,  old  woman, 
will  never  permit  of  any  volume  being  disturbed.  It  is  said 
that  her  father  collected  the  books  many  years  ago,  and  that 
she  still  guards  them  jealously  for  him. 

Perhaps  one  day  a  copy  of  the  '  Nigramansir  '  will  emerge 
from  its  long  sleep  in  some  such  house  as  these.  Indeed,  it 
is  not  so  much  a  matter  of  surprise  that  such  books  should 
have  disappeared,  as  that  they  should  have  remained  hidden 
for  so  long.  In  1909  an  ancient  volume  was  accidentally 
discovered  in  an  old  manor-house  in  the  North  of  England, 
where  it  had  lain  undisturbed  for  generations.  It  proved  to 
consist  of  no  less  than  five  of  Caxton's  publications  bound  up 
together.  Moreover,  it  was  in  the  original  binding,  and  was 
bound,  probably,  by  one  of  Caxton's  workmen,  whose  initials 
it  bore.  On  being  put  up  for  sale  at  Sotheby's,  it  changed 
hands  at  £2,600. 

The  account  which  Gairdner  gives  in  the  Introduction  to 
his  last  edition  of  the  Paston  letters,  of  the  loss  and  rediscovery 
of  those  historic  documents,  is  also  a  striking  example  of  the 
manner  in  which  books  may  lie  hidden  for  years.  For  nearly 
a  century  the  originals  of  Sir  John  Fenn's  compilation  were 
utterly  lost.  '  Even  Mr.  Serjeant  Frere  who  edited  the  fifth 
volume  .  .  .  declared  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  find  the 
originals  of  that  volume  any  more  than  those  of  the  others. 
Strange  to  say,  however,  the  originals  of  that  volume  were  in 
his  house  all  the  time.  .  .  .*  Gairdner  then  applied  to  the 
owner  of  Roydon  Hall  for  the  remainder  of  the  manuscripts, 
but  received  answer  '  that  he  did  not  see  how  such  MSS. 
should  have  found  their  way  to  Roydon.'  Yet  there  they  were 
discovered  (with  many  others)  eight  years  later!  Even  then 
the  whereabouts  of  the  letters  forming  Fenn's  first  and  second 
volumes,  which  he  had  presented  in  1787  to  King  George  III., 
was  still  unknown.     *  The  late  Prince  Consort  .  .  .  caused  a 


Adventures  among  Books  21 

careful  search  to  be  made  for  them,  but  it  proved  quite 
ineffectual.*  No  wonder,  for  in  1889  they  came  to  light  in  a 
Suffolk  manor-house! 

It  is  difficult  to  portray  in  words  the  sensations  of  the 
book-collector  when  engaged  in  searching  some  ancient 
building  or  library — especially  if  he  be  upon  a  '  hot  scent* 
The  thrills  that  he  experiences  as  he  handles  some  rich  volume 
that  has  lain  hid  for  years,  the  delicious  excitement  that 
pervades  him  while  exploring  some  huge  charter  chest  or 
ancient  oaken  press,  these  are  feelings  not  to  be  described  in 
words.  '  It  was  discovered  in  the  library  at  such  and  such  a 
place,'  we  read,  and  we  barely  stop  to  picture  the  scene  of  its 
finding  or  to  imagine  the  sensations  of  its  finder.  The  very 
finding  at  Syon  by  *  Master  Richard  Sutton,  Esq.,'  of  the 
manuscript  containing  the  *  revelacions  '  of  St.  Katherin  of 
Siena,  from  which  de  Worde  printed  his  edition,  conjures 
up  a  whole  romance  in  itself ;  yet  in  his  eulogy  of  the  work 
Wynkyn  dismisses  the  matter  briefly,  merely  stating  that  it 
was  found  '  in  a  corner  by  itself.'  '  We  were  shipv/recked,* 
says  the  mariner,  relating  his  adventures  ;  and  in  those  three 
words  what  a  world  of  incident  and  sensations  is  comprised! 

Our  book-hunter  confesses  frankly  to  having  had  much  good 
luck  in  book  collecting.  Some  years  ago  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  start  collecting  Elzeviers,  more  with  the  intention  of 
gathering  a  representative  collection  of  books  printed  by  that 
great  family  of  printers  than  with  any  idea  of  specialising  in 
them.  Probably  he  was  urged  thereto  by  reading  that  wholly 
delightful  book  '  The  Library  '  by  Andrew  Lang,  wherein  the 
author  discourses  so  pleasantly  on  these  rare  pygmies  of  the 
book  world.  '  The  Pastissier  Frangois,'  we  read,  '  has  lately 
fetched  £600  at  a  sale  ' ;  and  the  *  Caesar '  of  1G35  seemed 
nearly  as  rare,  provided  it  were  a  copy  of  that  impression 
wherein  the  149th  page  is  misprinted  '15-3.'  A  little  later  our 
bookman  was  dipping,  for  the  n-ih  time,  into  that  bibliophile's 
bible  '  The  Book  Hunter,'  by  John  Hill  Burton,  whose  opinion 
of  the  Csesar  seemed  even  higher,  for  he  devotes  nearly  half 


22  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

a  page  to  the  little  volume  which  Brunet  describes  as  *  une  des 
plus  jolies  et  plus  rares  de  la  collection  des  Elsevier,' 

That  decided  our  friend.  He  would  collect  Elzeviers. 
Moreover,  he  would  continue  to  collect  them  until  he  had 
acquired  both  the  *  Pastissier  Frangois  '  and  the  1635  *  Caesar.* 
Such  was  the  confidence  of  youth !  So  he  sallied  forth  straight 
away,  determined  to  ransack  the  nooks  and  corners  of  certain 
shops  of  his  acquaintance. 

He  didn't  find  the  *  Pastissier  Francois  '  that  afternoon, 
but  he  found  the  1035  '  Csesar '  in  Charing  Cross  Road  for 
iwo  shillings.  Moreover,  it  had  the  requisite  misprint  and 
certain  other  distinctions  which  proclaim  it  to  be  of  the  rare 
impression,  and  it  is  no  less  than  126  millimetres  in  height! 
He  has  not  yet  come  across  the  Pastissier,  but  doubtless  he 
will  find  a  copy  one  day,  provided  his  luck  holds  good. 

The  Httle  '  Pastissier '  is  a  far  more  interesting  volume 
than  the  '  Caesar.'  The  latter  is  a  dainty  book,  beautifully 
printed  upon  fine  paper,  with  folding  maps  and  plans  of 
castramentation.  The  '  Pastissier,'  on  the  other  hand,  is  a 
disappointing  little  book  in  appearance,  for  it  is  but 
indifferently  printed  upon  poor  paper.  It  cannot  ev'en  claim 
the  merit  of  originality,  being  merely  a  pirated  reprint  of  a 
volume  that  appeared  in  Paris  some  two  years  previously.* 
But  it  is  very,  very  rare,  and  it  has  been  celebrated  by  many 
distinguished  pens. 

'  '*  Monsieur,"  said  I,  "  pray  forgive  me  if  my  question 
seems  impertinent,  but  are  you  extremely  fond  of  eggs?  "  ' 

Such  were  the  words  with  which  Alexandre  Dumas  first 
addressed  Charles  Nodier,  the  famous  dramatist  and  biblio- 
phile, whom  he  found  sitting  next  to  him  at  the  Theatre 
Porte-Saint-Martin.  Dumas'  curiosity  as  to  the  little  volume 
that  was  engrossing  his  neighbour's  attention  more  than  the 


*  At  the  sale  of  Baron  Seilliere''s  books  in  1887,  a  copy  of  this  prototype 
of  the  Elzevier  volume,  printed  at  Paris  '  chez  Jean  Gaillard,'  1653,  brought 
only  £6,  los.  It  was  described  as  'a  beautiful  copy,  red  morocco,  super 
extra,  gilt  edges,  by  Petit.'     It  is  exceedingly  rare,  but — it  is  not  an  Elzevier. 


Adventures  among  Books  23 

play  was  at  length  allayed,  and  it  was  a  view  of  the  title-page 
that  prompted  his  unusual  question.  Looking  over  his 
neighbour's  shoulder,  he  read,  opposite  the  engraved  frontis- 
piece, as  follows :  — 


LE 

PASTISSIER 

FRANCOIS 

Ou  eft  enfeigne  la  maniere  de 

faire  toute  forte  de  Paftiffe- 

rie,  tres-utile  a  toute  forte 

de  perfonnes. 

ENSEMBLE 

Le  vioyen  liaprefter  toutes  fortes  d'oeufs 

pour  les  jours  uiaigres  &  autres, 

en  plus  de  foixante  fa^ons. 

A   AMSTERDAM 
Chez  Louys  &  Daniel  Elzevier 

A    M  DC   LV. 


But  Nodier  was  far  from  being  the  gourmet  that  Dumas 
supposed  him  to  be.  He  was  merely  a  bookhunter  devouring 
a  rare  '  find  ' ;   and  the  httle  book,  he  explained  to  Dumas, 


24  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

was  one  of  those  tiny  volumes  published  in  the  seventeenth 
century  by  the  house  of  the  Elzeviers  at  Leyden  and 
Amsterdam ;  and  of  all  the  many  productions  of  that  press, 
this  was  the  most  sought  for  by  collectors. 

Elzeviers,  however,  are  no  longer  fashionable,  in  this  country 
at  least.  The  Caesar  might  possibly  bring  five  pounds  if  it 
came  to  the  notice  of  an  Elzevier  specialist,  but  I  doubt  it.* 
Only  the  Pastissier  has  retained  its  exalted  price,  probablv 
on  account  of  its  notoriety.  A  copy,  in  modern  calf  binding, 
sold  recently  (1917)  at  Sotheby's  for  so  much  as  £130  ;  but 
Lord  Vernon's  copy,  choicely  bound  by  Cape,  realised  only 
,£70  at  the  Sudbury  sale  in  June  1918.  However,  it  was  a 
poor  copy  and  much  cut  down. 

Railway-trains,  among  other  things,  have  killed  Elzeviers. 
Nothing  could  be  more  convenient  for  saddle-bag  or 
knapsack,  or  the  restricted  luggage  which  one  could  stow  in 
the  boot  of  a  coach.  But  who  makes  a  practice  nowadays  of 
putting  books  into  his  suit-case  or  gladstone-bag  ?+  Besides, 
before  the  advent  of  railways,  there  was  not  the  same  facility 
for  distributing  books,  and  one  might  travel  many  leagues 
and  visit  many  villages  without  coming  to  a  place  where  there 
would  be  a  bookshop.  In  travelling  nowadays  one  is 
continually  in  the  presence  of  cheap  books. 

The  fate  of  the  little  Pastissier  was  probably  that  of  many 
popular  books.  There  must  have  been  thousands  of  copies 
of  it  printed.  Dumas,  in  that  delightful  chapter  of  *  Mes 
Memoires  '  which  we  have  just  quoted,  makes  Nodier  say, 
*  Techener  declares  that  there  were  five  thousand  five  hundred 
copies  issued,  and  I  maintain  that  there  were  more  than  ten 
thousand  printed  '  ;  and  he  goes  on  to  declare  that  '  there  are 
probably  only  ten  examples  of  it  left  in  Europe.'  Willems, 
however,  in  his  bibliography  of  the  Elzeviers  published  in 
1880,   enumerates   some   thirty  copies,    and    states   that   the 

*A  recent  (1920)  catalogue  offers  a  copy  for  thirty-five  shillings. 

1 1  confess  that  I  do,  but  then  I  am  hopelessly  out  of  date,  or  I  shouldn't 
be  fond  of  Elzeviers. 


Adventures  among  Books  25 

highest  price  yet  paid  for  the  Pastissier  was  10,000  francs. 
But  that  was  for  a  quite  exceptional  copy.  From  4,500  francs 
to  5,500  francs  seems  to  have  been  the  average  value  of  the 
book  in  Willems'  time,  and,  enthusiast  as  he  is,  he  hesitates 
not  to  describe  it  as  a  '  bouquin  insignifiant  et  mediocrement 
imprime.' 

Its  scarcity  at  the  present  day  is,  perhaps,  not  surprising ; 
for,  from  the  very  nature  of  its  contents,  its  habitat  must 
always  have  been  the  kitchen  rather  than  the  library.  How 
long  would  such  a  tiny  volume,  with  its  130  thin  paper  leaves, 
bear  the  rough  and  greasy  handling  of  chefs  and  *  pastissiers  '  ? 
Book-shelves  are  rare  in  kitchens,  and  the  little  book  must 
have  been  continually  moved  from  pillar  to  post.  Besides, 
it  is  unlikely  that  copies  for  kitchen  use  would  be  strongly 
bound  in  morocco.  The  very  printing  and  paper  of  the  book 
sufficiently  indicate  the  use  to  which  its  producers  at  least 
expected  it  to  be  put.  So  the  little  '  French  pastrycook  * 
gradually  disappeared.  Those  for  whose  benefit  it  had  been 
written  would  soon  learn  its  secrets  by  heart  and  confide  them 
verbally  to  their  apprentices  ;  and  it  would  not  be  long  ere  the 
tattered  and  greasy  booklet  found  its  way  into  the  dustbin. 

Of  all  the  rarae  aves  sought  by  book-collectors  this  little 
volume  is  perhaps  the  most  widely  known.  That  copies  may 
still  exist  in  this  country  is  shown  to  be  possible  by  the  fact 
(recorded  by  Willems)  that  one  was  sold  at  an  auction  in 
Belfast.  Another  was  found  at  Brighton,  and  occasionally 
one  appears  in  the  London  salerooms,  as  we  have  shown.  It 
requires  little  imagination  to  picture  merchants  and  travellers, 
whose  paths  led  through  the  Low  Countries  at  that  time, 
slipping  copies  into  their  pockets  or  holsters  for  use  in  the 
household  across  the  water.  Many  a  courtly  exile  during  the 
Protectorate,  glancing  through  the  bookshops  of  Amsterdam, 
must  have  chanced  upon  the  little  volume  as  a  gift  for  wife 
or  daughter. 

Numbers,  also,  must  have  found  their  way  to  France.  Some 
years  ago  our  book-hunter  happened  to  stay  at  an  ancient 


26  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

hostel  in  Rouen.  From  the  outside  the  building  was  every- 
thing that  could  possibly  be  desired  by  bibliophile  or 
antiquary.  It  was  situated  in  one  of  those  quaint  narrow 
back  streets  that  lead  towards  the  Place  Henri  Quatre  ;  and 
the  courtyard  was  so  small  as  scarcely  to  allow  a  baker's  cart 
to  turn  round  in  it.  Like  many  of  the  houses  in  this  ancient 
town,  its  crookedness  was  such  that  it  seemed  impossible  for 
it  to  remain  standing  much  longer.  Misgivings  arose  within 
him  as  he  ascended  the  staircase,  which  seemed  to  sway  as 
he  avoided  the  broken  treads.  But  the  sight  of  the  bedroom 
he  was  to  occupy,  furnished  with  such  furniture  and  such  a 
bed,  all  spotlessly  clean  and  polished,  sent  him  into  the  seventh 
heaven  of  delight.  Here  he  could  read  and  write  undisturbed 
for  as  long  as  he  chose  to  stay.  Surely  pleasant  surprises 
must  be  in  store  for  one  in  every  way  in  such  surroundings 
as  these! 

It  was  not  long  before  he  got  one. 

'  Will  Monsieur  require  anything  to  be  cooked  for  him 
to-night  ?  '  inquired  the  trim  hostess. 

It  was  rather  late  and  our  bookman  was  disinclined  to  seek 
a  restaurant.  Besides,  he  was  anxious  to  explore  his  lodging 
before  it  got  too  dark.  An  omelette  would  be  delicious, 
provided  she  could  make  one  properly. 

'  Eggs,  perhaps,  and  tea,  with  bread  and  butter ' — could  she 
turn  the  eggs  into  an  omelette  ? 

'  Why  certainly,'  with  a  merry  laugh,  '  of  course — I  can 
prepare  eggs  m  more  than  sixty  ways.^ 

To  say  that  our  book-hunter  started  would  be  to  put  it 
mildly.  A  certain  title-page  instantly  rose  before  his  eyes. 
There  was  only  one  way  in  which  anybody  could  possibly 
learn  to  cook  eggs  in  sixty  different  ways,  and  that  was  by 
studying  the  *  Pastissier  Francois.'  Without  the  slightest 
doubt  the  hostess  possessed  a  copy,  and  he  was  at  last  to  look 
upon  the  tiny  volume  that  he  had  sought  for  so  long.  But  as 
she  seemed  so  proud  of  her  achievement,  could  she  be  induced 
to  part  with  the  precious  tome?       These  and  many  other 


Adventures  among  Books  27 

kindred  thoughts  passed  rapidly  through  his  mind  as  he 
repeated  slowly  '  en  plus  de  soixante  faqons  ?  ' 

She  laughed  again.  Ah  yes,  but  she  couldn't  repeat  them 
d'abord,  she  would  have  to  refer  to  her  book. 

He  had  difficulty  in  controlling  his  voice  sufficiently  to 
inquire  what  her  book  was. 

Oh,  it  was  just  a  little  book  which  her  mother  had  given 
her,  a  little  book  of  la  cuisine.  Could  he  see  it?  Why 
certainly,  but  it  could  not  possibly  interest  monsieur,  it  was 
only  a  common  little  book,  and  dirty. 

Ah,  as  usual  it  would  be  soiled,  perhaps  badly,  for  it  was 
evidently  still  in  constant  use  ;  but  so  long  as  it  were  complete 
one  might  possibly  be  able  to  clean  it.  What  delightful 
thoughts  and  anticipations  passed  through  his  mind  as  the 
hostess  slowly  descended  the  rickety  stairs  to  fetch  her 
treasure !  At  last  he  had  found  it,  and  just  in  the  very  sort 
of  house  and  town  where  he  had  always  expected  to  come 
across  it.  Well,  well,  if  you  make  up  your  mind  to  have  a 
thing  and  search  eagerly  enough  for  it,  }'ou  are  bound  to 
obtain  it  in  the  long  run. 

Then  another  thought  entered  his  mind  :  how  much  should 
he  offer  her  for  it?  Probably  she  would  not  part  with  it 
unless  he  named  a  sum  which  she  could  not  resist ;  yet  if  the 
sum  were  at  all  large  she  might  suspect  the  book's  value  and 
refuse.  Ten  francs,  twenty-five,  a  hundred  ?  While  he  was 
deliberating  this  important  point  she  was  ascending  the  stairs. 
Should  he  turn  his  back  to  her,  shut  his  eyes,  and  tell  her  to 
place  the  volume  on  the  middle  of  the  table,  then  suddenly 
turn  about  and  gloat  upon  the  little  treasure  ? 

Before  he  could  make  up  his  mind  she  came  in  and  he  got 
his  second  surprise  that  day.  It  was  not  as  pleasant  as  the 
first,  for  in  her  hands  she  held  a  thick  octavo  volume  bound 
in  shiny  black  leather.  Heavens!  ...  a  large-paper  copy? 
.  .  .  No,  no,  impossible.  .  .  . 

'  Le  voici,  m'sieu.' 

Our  poor  book-hunter's  feelings  almost  overcame  him,  and 


28  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

he  opened  the  dirty  manuscript  volume  mechanically,  feebly 
muttering  *  tres  interessant'  She  watched  him  closely,  and 
from  that  moment  considered  him  slightly  mad.  However, 
the  book  certainly  did  contain  sixty-two  recipes  for  cooking 
eggs  as  well  as  receipts  for  making  fancy  pastry  and  cakes. 
Whether  it  was  copied  out  of  the  *  Pastissier  '  I  know  not ; 
but  certain  it  is  that  the  hostess  had  no  knowledge  of,  nor 
had  ever  seen,  that  volume. 

There  must  be  many  book-treasures  lying  hid  in  all  these 
ancient  towns  of  Northern  France,  towns  also  that  lie  far 
off  the  restless  tourist's  track,  small  country  towns  in  which 
the  majority  of  the  houses  are  slipshod  timbered  relics  of  a 
bygone  age.  No  striking  or  unusual  feature  can  they  offer 
to  the  curious,  and  so  for  the  most  part  they  are  dismissed 
in  brief  by  the  guide  book.  Yet  there  is  many  an  aged 
building  m  Brittany  where  old  books  do  still  lie  hid,  as  our 
bookman  knows  from  the  library  of  a  friend  who  lives  in 
Finisterre.  St.  Brieuc,  Guingamp,  Morlaix,  Quimper,  even 
Brest,  all  these  must  harbour  long-forgotten  books. 

But  there  are  other  towns  which  no  power  on  earth  shall 
force  our  book-hunter  to  disclose.  One  there  is  far  off  the 
beaten  track,  where  the  houses,  painted  with  bright  colours, 
lean  all  askew,  supporting  each  other  and  sometimes  almost 
toppling  across  the  narrow  winding  streets.  So  that,  entering 
it,  one  seems  to  have  stepped  suddenly  into  some  such  fairy 
town  as  exists  in  the  pages  of  Grimm  or  Hans  Andersen ; 
and,  half  ashamed,  one  peers  curiously  at  the  dwellers  in  this 
goblin  town,  as  though  expecting  to  find  that  they  have 
pointed  ears  and  narrow  elfin  feet.  They  never  seem  to  move 
about,  and,  sitting  at  almost  every  doorstep,  watch  one  intently 
from  weird  nooks  and  crannies.  Hurry  and  bustle  are  here 
unknown,  and  though  they  will  reply  to  you  in  the  best  of 
French,  yet  to  each  other  the  townsfolk  speak  a  strange  and 
uncouth  tongue. 

Once,  rambling  in  the  narrow  alleys  about  the  ancient 
church,  our  book-hunter  ventured  through  a  gothic  doorway 


Adventures  among  Books  29 

along  a  broad  passage  that  was  guarded  by  a  huge  and 
ancient  iron  grille  and  presently  he  found  himself  in  a  small 
courtyard  paved  with  moss-grown  cobbles.  About  it  was  a 
timbered  gallery,  roofed,  once  doubtless  level,  now  gently  and 
gracefully  undulating  so  that  it  seemed  about  to  fall  from  off 
the  wall  to  which  it  was  attached.  But  the  walls  had  also 
subsided  with  the  gallery,  so  that  the  whole  still  showed  a 
symmetry  that  was  pleasing  to  the  eye.  Above  the  gallery 
and  across  the  front  of  the  buildmg  had  been  painted  the 
legend  HOTEL  DU  LION  D'OR,  and  a  dim  weatherbeaten  shield 
above  the  doorway  still  bore  the  trace  of  a  rampant  lion.  It 
seemed  a  large  building,  judging  by  the  number  of  its 
windows,  far  larger  than  its  present-day  custom  could  possibly 
warrant. 

The  place  was  curiously  still,  for  the  noise  of  carts  and 
footsteps  could  never  penetrate  into  that  silent  court,  and  it 
must  have  been  many  years  since  chaise  or  horseman  clattered 
across  its  now  mossy  pave.  The  stillness  was  almost  uncanny, 
forbidding,  and  our  book-hunter  hesitated  to  cross  the  court- 
yard lest  the  sound  of  his  footsteps  should  disturb  the  slumber 
of  the  ancient  building.  Presently  a  rat  squealed  somewhere 
along  the  gallery,  and  a  voice  called  out  sharply  within.  The 
spell  was  broken,  and  entering  the  house  he  called  for  a 
'  petit  verre  '  preparatory  to  finding  out  something  of  the 
inn's  history. 

Yes,  it  was  very  old,  and  madame  had  been  born  in  it ; 
but  now  that  she  was  left  alone  with  Jeanne  it  was  very 
lonely,  and  there  was  little  custom.  Did  they  have  many 
travellers  there  ?  Oh  no,  not  for  a  long  time,  the  house  was 
not  easy  to  find,  and  as  the  old  customers  died  none  came 
to  fill  their  places.  But  sometimes  Messieurs  So  and  So  came 
in  of  an  evening  and  took  a  '  petit  verre,'  and  then  the 
neighbours  were  very  friendly,  so  it  was  not  so  bad. 

So  the  hostess  prattled  on,  only  too  pleased  to  impart  the 
news  of  her  little  world  to  a  newcomer  from  the  greater  one, 
while  all  the  time  fantastic  visions  rose  before  him.       He 


30  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

pictured  old  hide-bound  trunks  that  had  been  left  behind  by 
travellers  who  had  never  returned,  trunks  which,  opened, 
would  prove  to  contain  priceless  black-letter  books :  boxes, 
stored  in  attics  and  cellars  and  in  concealed  presses,  which 
would  contain  ancient  apparel  with  copies  of  the  '  Pastissier ' 
in  the  pockets :  small  travelling  bags,  tendered  by  needy 
scholars  in  lieu  of  payment,  which  he  would  find  stuffed  with 
rare  Elzeviers :  rusty  iron-bound  chests  enclosing  missals, 
books  of  hours  and  antiphonals :  in  short  to  such  heights  did 
his  imagination  soar  that  he  resolved  to  sojourn  there  till  he 
had  explored  the  old  house  from  attic  to  cellar. 

Then  a  rat  squealed  again,  near  at  hand.  Oh  yes,  they 
were  everywhere,  ever  since  Monsieur  Gautier  rented  the 
left  wing  of  the  house  to  store  grain  in ;  and  they  were  so 
tame  and  so  large  that  Madame  was  obliged  to  keep  miou- 
miou  in  her  bedroom  every  night. 

That  decided  our  book-hunter.  Enthusiasm  can  be  carried 
too  far.  Even  the  possibilities  of  a  rich  trover  would  not 
compensate  for  having  rats  running  about  one's  bed  at  night. 
Moreover  the  vermin  would  surely  have  gnawed,  if  not 
devoured,  any  copies  of  the  '  Pastissier  '  that  might  have  been 
lying  about,  even  if  these  were  innocent  of  bacon-grease 
stains.  And  so  consoling  himself,  he  took  another  *  petit 
verre  *  and  departed,  casting  more  than  one  regretful  glance 
backwards  at  the  old  Lion  d'Or. 


CHAPTER    II 


THE  LIBRARY 


'  Unto  their  lodgings  then  his  guestes  he  riddes  : 
Where  when  all  drownd  in  deadly  sleepe  he  findes, 
He  to  his  studie  goes.' — Spensek. 

HAT  magic  there  is  for  the  book-lover  in  that 
word  '  Hbrary ' !  Does  it  not  instantly 
conjure  up  a  vision  of  happy  solitude,  a 
peaceful  seclusion  where  we  may  lie  hidden 
from  our  fellow-creatures,  an  absence  of  idle 
chatter  to  distract  our  thoughts,  and  count- 
less books  about  us  on  either  hand?  No  man  with  any 
pretensions  to  learning  can  possibly  fail  to  be  impressed  when 
he  enters  an  ancient  library,  older  perhaps  by  generations 
than  the  art  of  printing  itself. 

'  With  awe,  around  these  silent  walks  I  tread, 
These  are  the  lasting  mansions  of  the  dead  : 
"  The  dead  !  "  methinks  a  thousand  tongues  reply, 
"  These  are  the  tombs  of  such  as  cannot  die  !  " 
Crowned  with  e'ernal  fame,  they  sit  sublime, 
And  laugh  at  all  the  little  strife  of  time.' 

They  are  delicious  retreats,  abodes  of  seasoned  thought  and 
peaceful  meditation,  these  ancient  homes  of  books.  '  I  no 
sooner  come  into  the  library,'  wrote  Heinz,  that  great  literary 
counsellor  of  the  Elzeviers,  *  than  I  bolt  the  door,  excluding 
Lust,  Ambition,  Avarice,  and  all  such  vices,  whose  nurse  is 
Idleness,  the  mother  of  Ignorance  and  Melancholy.     In  the 


32  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

very  lap  of  Eternity,  among  so  many  divine  souls,  I  take  my 
seat  with  so  lofty  a  spirit  and  sweet  content,  that  I  pity  all 
great  men  and  rich  to  whom  this  happiness  is  unknown.* 

Happy  indeed  are  those  days  when  the  book-lover  has  been 
accorded  the  freedom  of  some  ancient  library.  A  delicious 
feeling  of  tranquillity  pervades  him  as  he  selects  some  nook 
and  settles  himself  to  read.  Presently  the  mood  takes  him 
to  explore,  and  he  wanders  about  from  case  to  case,  now 
taking  down  some  plump  folio  and  glancing  at  the  title-page 
and  type,  now  counting  the  engravings  of  another  and 
collating  it  in  his  mind,  now  comparing  the  condition  of  a 
third  with  the  copy  which  he  has  at  home,  now  searching 
through  the  text  of  some  small  duodecimo  to  see  whether  it 
contains  the  usual  blanks  or  colophon.  But  presently  he  will 
chance  upon  some  tome  whose  appeal  is  irresistible.  So  he 
retires  with  it  to  his  nook,  and  is  soon  absorbed  once  more 
with  that  tranquillity  which  is  better  than  great  riches. 

Dearly,  however,  though  we  may  treasure  the  benefits  and 
conveniences  which  these  libraries  of  ancient  foundation 
afford,  for  most  of  us  there  is  another  library  that  is  nearer 
to  our  hearts ;  that  cosy  chamber  with  which  we  are 
■accustomed  to  associate  warmth,  comfort,  soft  chairs  and  foot- 
rests,  a  wide  writing-table  that  we  may  pile  high  with  books, 
"vvith  scribbling-paper,  foolscap  and  marking-slips  in  plenty. 
In  short,  a  room  so  far  removed  from  earthly  cares  and  noise, 
that  the  dim  occasional  sounds  of  the  outside  world  serve  but 
to  accentuate  our  absolute  possession  of  ease.  Here  we  may 
labour  undisturbed  though  surrounded  by  a  thousand  friends. 
Or,  if  the  mood  take  us,  we  may  abandon  ourselves  to  idle 
meditation 

'  Where  glowing  embers  through  the  room 
Teach  light  to  counterfeit  a  gloom,' 

and,  lying  back  at  our  ease,  may  gaze  contentedly  upon  the 
faithful  companions  of  our  crowded  solitude,  gathering 
inspiration  from  their  silent  sympathy. 

Each  to  his  taste.     Whether  we  be  student,  book-hunter, 


The  Library  3a 

librarian,  or  precentor,*  no  earthly  abode  can  be  compared 
with  that  garden  of  our  choice  wherein  we  labour  so 
contentedly.  It  may  be  a  small  room  in  our  own  house,  it 
may  be  an  ancient  university  or  college  library,  but  it  is  all 
one  :  it  is  a  library,  that  haven  of  refuge  from  our  worldly 
cares,  where  troubles  are  forgotten  and  sorrows  lightened  by 
the  gently  persuasive  experience  of  the  wise  men  that  have 
gone  before  us. 

But,  mark  you,  it  must  be  literally  removed  from  cares  and 
noise,  for  it  is  impossible  to  study  at  all  deeply  while  exposed 
to  interruption.  How  terribly  most  of  us  have  suffered  from 
this  form  of  mental  torture,  for  it  is  little  else!  What  trains 
of  lucid  thought,  what  word-pictures  have  been  destroyed  by 
thoughtless  breakings  of  the  chain  of  sequence!  *  I  have 
never  known  persons  who  exposed  themselves  for  years  to 
constant  interruption  who  did  not  muddle  away  their  intellects 
by  it  at  last,'  wrote  Miss  Florence  Nightingale.  Hamerton, 
quoting  her,  is  equally  emphatic  upon  this  point. 

'  If,'  he  writes,  '  you  are  reading  in  the  daytime  in  a  house 
where  there  are  women  and  children,  or  where  people  can 
fasten  upon  you  for  pottering  details  of  business,  you  may  be 
sure  that  you  will  tiot  be  able  to  get  to  the  end  of  the  passage 
without  in  some  way  or  other  being  rudely  awakened  from 
your  dream,  and  suddenly  brought  back  into  the  common 
world.  The  loss  intellectually  is  greater  than  any  one  wha 
had  not  suffered  from  it  could  imagine.  People  think  that  an 
interruption  is  merely  the  unhooking  of  an  electric  chain,  and 
that  the  current  will  flow,  when  the  chain  is  hooked  on  again, 
just  as  it  did  before.  To  the  intellectual  and  imaginative 
student  an  interruption  is  not  that ;  it  is  the  destruction  of  a 
picture.' 

Who  has  not  suffered  from  the  idle  chatter,  or  even  worse — 
the  lowered  voice,  that  often  assails  the  ear  when  working  in 
our  larger  public  libraries  ?     Some  innocent-looking  individual" 

*  Usually  the  i)recentor  was  also  archivist  and  librarian. 


34  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

will  be  reading  quietly  some  paces  away,  so  quietly  and 
decorously  in  fact  that  one's  heart  goes  out  to  him  as  a 
sympathetic  fellow-bookman.  Then  enters  some  one  whom 
he  knows.  In  a  flash  he  becomes  a  fiend  incarnate.  A  word 
or  two  of  greeting  spoken  in  an  ordinary  voice  one  would 
pardon  ;  but  a  long  conversation  is  carried  on  in  a  monotonous 
forced  undertone,  terrible  in  its  intensity.  It  is  impossible  to 
read  so  long  as  the  conversation  lasts,  and  murder  surges  in 
one's  heart.  O  for  the  power  to  drop  ten  atlas  folios  in  a 
pile  upon  their  heads!  People  do  not  realise  the  carrying 
power  of  a  strained  and  lowered  voice.  Generally  the  volume 
of  sound  is  the  same  as  when  speaking  aloud,  for  the  tone  is 
merely  lowered  and  the  same  amount  of  breath  is  used.  But 
often  more  force  is  required  to  vibrate  the  slackened  vocal 
chords,  and  the  maddening  sound  reaches  to  every  corner 
of  the  building. 

In  the  Reading  Room  of  the  British  Museum  one  is 
constantly  aware  of  this  buzzing  going  on  all  over  the  room. 
Would  that  the  rule  enforced  at  one  of  our  older  monasteries 
were  applied :  '  In  the  Chafynghowys  al  brethren  schal  speke 
latyn  or  els  keep  silence.'  This  would  indeed  ensure  quiet- 
ness nowadays.  The  rule  for  nuns,  however  (who,  presumably, 
were  not  so  well  acquainted  with  Latin)  would  be  better  still. 
They  were  not  to  speak  at  all.* 

So,  if  it  be  possible,  see  to  it  that  your  library,  study, 
sanctum,  or  whatever  you  may  call  that  one  room  in  the 
house  which  is  sacred  to  the  daughters  of  Mnemosyne,  is 
really  your  own :  that  it  be  a  close  closet  to  which  you  (and 
you  alone)  may  retire  at  all  seasons,  certain  in  the  knowledge 
that  by  closing  the  door  you  may  shut  out  effectually  all 
earthly  cares  and  interruptions.  Whether  you  are  engaged 
in  research  merely  for  the  gratification  of  your  desire  to 
possess  knowledge,  or  whether  literary  production  be  your 
aim,   unless   you   may  study   undisturbed  your  labours  will 

*  In  one  monastery,  however,  they  were  allowed  to  speak  '  passing  soft.' 
We  know  that  '  passing  soft ! ' 


The  Library  35 

never  bear  their  full  fruit.  Interrupted,  your  knowledge  will 
be  scanty,  diverse,  and  generally  inapplicable,  your  literary 
output  sketchy,  incoherent,  and  disconnected. 

Perhaps  it  is  this  incubus  of  interruption  that  drives  so  many 
men  to  working  late  at  night.  Doubtless  those  whose  habit 
it  is  to  work  at  that  season  produce  just  as  good  work  in  those 
hours  as  at  any  other  time  ;  possibly  better,  for  habit  may 
have  accustomed  them  to  put  forth  their  finest  intellectual 
efforts  at  that  time  of  day.  But  the  mind  that  has  been 
brought  up  to  rise  at  seven  and  go  to  bed  at  ten,  is 
undoubtedly  at  its  best  before  noon.  Night  working  is  not  a 
natural  tendency,  it  is  an  acquired  habit ;  and  though  the 
expression  '  burning  the  midnight  oil  *  is  taken  to  be 
synonymous  with  the  acquisition  of  learning,  yet  in  the  long 
run  it  is  but  a  poor  economy  of  time,  for  the  wisdom  so 
acquired  is  often  obtained  at  the  cost  of  health  and  eyesight. 

And  what  is  freedom  from  interruption  but  another  name 
for  solitude?  It  may  be  temporary,  it  may  be  prolonged, 
it  may  be  permanent,  but  for  the  intellectual  man  it  is 
absolutely  essential.  No  one  would  be  so  foolish  as  to  deny 
that  literary  work  of  the  highest  rank  can  be,  and  has  been 
frequently,  accomplished  amid  the  bustle  and  noise  of  cities ; 
witness  the  works  of  those  literary  giants  who  have  passed 
their  lives  as  town-dwellers.  Doubtless  they  obtained  the 
necessary  solitude  by  spiritual  detachment.  But  on  the  other 
hand,  for  intense  and  prolonged  meditation,  for  the  com- 
muning with  one's  innermost  soul  on  the  immense  principles 
of  life  and  nature,  for  the  production  of  such  deep  soul- 
searching  work  as  we  see  in  the  compositions  of  a  Kempis, 
Dante,  Milton,  and  Wordsworth,  absolute  solitude  for  some 
seasons  is  essential.  There  must  be  complete  freedom  from 
the  daily  distractions  caused  by  one's  fellow-beings. 

'  Believe  me,  upon  my  own  experience,'  wrote  St.  Bernard, 
'  you  will  find  more  in  the  woods  than  in  books  ;  the  forests 
and  rocks  will  teach  you  what  you  cannot  learn  of  the  greatest 
masters.'     It  is  not  necessary,  however,  for  us  to  take  up  our 


36  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

abode  in  a  cave  that  we  may  meditate  undisturbed.  Let  us 
rather  follow  Wordsworth's  example  when  he  pours  forth 
gratitude 

'  For  my  own  peaceful  lot  and  happy  choice ; 
A  choice  that  from  the  passions  of  the  world 
Withdrew,  and  fixed  me  in  a  still  retreat ; 
Sheltered,  but  not  to  social  duties  lost, 
Secluded,  but  not  buried  ;  and  with  song 
Cheering   my   days,   and   with   industrious   thought ; 
With  the  ever-welcome  company  of  books  ; 
With  virtuous  friendship's  soul-sustaining  aid. 
And  with  the  blessings  of  domestic  love.' 

It  is  sufficient  if  we  can  withdraw  at  will  into  the  solitudes. 
The  younger  Pliny,  moralising  to  his  friend  Minutius  (I  should 
like  to  think  him  the  progenitor  of  Aldo  Manuccio),  describes 
the  delights  of  seclusion  at  his  villa  on  the  shore  of  the 
Adriatic.  *  At  such  a  season,'  says  he,  in  a  retrospect  of  the 
day's  work,  '  one  is  apt  to  reflect  how  muck  of  my  life  has 
been  lost  in  trifles!  At  least  it  is  a  reflection  that  frequently 
comes  across  me  at  Laurentum,  after  I  have  been  employing 
myself  in  my  studies,  or  even  in  the  necessary  care  of  the 
animal  machine  ;  for  the  body  must  be  repaired  and  supported 
if  we  would  preserve  the  mind  in  all  its  vigour.  In  that 
peaceful  retreat  I  neither  hear  nor  speak  anything  of  which 
I  have  occasion  to  repent.  I  suffer  none  to  repeat  to  me  the 
whispers  of  malice  ;  nor  do  I  censure  any  man,  unless  myself, 
when  I  am  dissatisfied  with  my  compositions.  There  I  live 
undisturbed  by  rumour,  and  free  from  the  anxious  solicitudes 
of  hope  or  fear,  conversing  only  with  myself  and  my  books. 
True  and  genuine  life!  Pleasing  and  honourable  repose! 
More,  perhaps,  to  be  desired  than  the  noblest  employments ! 
Thou  solemn  lea  and  solitary  shore,  best  and  most  retired 
scene  for  contemplation,  with  how  many  noble  thoughts  have 
you  inspired  me!  Snatch  then,  my  friend,  as  I  have,  the  first 
occasion  of  leaving  the  noisy  town  with  all  its  very  empty 
pursuits,  and  devote  your  days  to  study,  or  even  resign  them 
to  ease.  For,  as  my  ingenious  friend  Attilius  pleasantly  said, 
'  It  is  better  to  do  nothing  than  to  be  doing  nothings !  '  ' 

The  great  Cardinal  Ximenes,  in  the  zenith  of  his  power. 


The  Library  37 

built  with  his  own  hands  a  hut  in  a  thick  unfrequented  wood, 
where  he  could  retire  occasionally  from  the  busy  world.  Here 
he  used  to  pass  a  few  days,  every  now  and  then,  in  meditation 
and  study.  These  he  was  wont  to  describe  as  the  happiest 
days  of  his  life,  and  declared  that  he  would  wiUmgly  exchange 
all  his  dignities  for  his  hut  in  the  chestnut  wood.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  coming  to  visit  the  learned  Bonaventura,  asked  him 
to  point  out  the  books  which  he  used  in  his  studies.  The 
monk  led  him  into  his  cell  and  showed  him  a  few  common 
volumes  upon  his  table.  Thomas  explained  that  the  books 
he  wished  to  see  were  those  from  which  the  learned  master 
drew  so  many  wonders.  Thereupon  Bonaventura  showed 
him  a  small  oratory.  '  There,'  he  said,  '  are  my  books ;  that 
is  the  principal  book  from  which  I  draw  all  that  I  teach  and 
write.' 

To  the  thoughtless  and  those  of  shallow  intellect  solitude 
is  inseparable  from  loneliness.  There  is,  for  them,  something 
terrible  in  the  thought  of  being  debarred,  even  temporarily, 
from  the  society  of  their  fellow-beings.  '  Retirement,'  says 
Disraeli,  '  to  the  frivolous  is  a  vast  desert  ;  to  the  man  of 
genius  it  is  the  enchanted  garden  of  Armida.'  And  for  *  man 
of  genius  '  I  would  substitute  '  man  of  literary  pursuits.' 

There  is  a  pleasant  story  told  of  a  monk  who  lived  in  the 
monastery  of  St.  Honorat,  which  is  situated  on  one  of  the 
Lerine  Islands,  ofif  the  coast  of  Provence.  Possessed  of  a 
mind  which,  in  the  larger  world,  would  mdubitably  have 
become  an  influence  in  the  artistic  progress  of  mankind,  he 
found  the  sole  outlet  for  its  expression  in  the  painting  of  those 
exquisite  miniatures  which  are  at  once  the  delight  and  the 
despair  of  a  more  modern  age.  But  it  was  not  in  the  scriptorium 
nor  was  it  in  the  bestiaries  or  the  examples  of  his  predecessors 
that  he  acquired  his  art.  Every  year,  in  the  spring  and 
autumn,  he  would  go  alone  to  one  of  the  delicious  islands  of 
Hyeres,  where  there  was  a  small  hermitage.  Here  he  would 
spend  the  weeks,  not  altogether  in  prayer  and  fasting,  but 
in   making  friends   with   the   birds   and   small   animals  that 


94836 


38  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

resorted  there  ;  studying  their  gestures,  plumage,  and  colours, 
that  he  might  reproduce  them  faithfully  on  the  vellum  of  his 
missals  and  devotional  books.  Surely  he  learnt  more  on  this 
deserted  island  than  was  possible  at  that  time  in  the  richest 
library  in  France. 

There  is  another  kind  of  solitude,  however,  which  can  afford 
consolation  to  the  soul  as  deep  and  as  lasting  as  that  afforded 
by  the  woods,  the  hills,  the  moors,  the  islands,  those 

'  Waste 
And  solitary  places ;  where  we  taste 
The  pleasure  of  believing  what  we  see 
Is  boundless,  as  we  wish  our  souls  to  be' — 

and  that  is,  the  solitude  engendered  by  a  deep  communion 
with  books.  For,  if  our  paths  lie  amid  the  toil  and  turmoil 
of  the  world,  and  if  it  be  impossible  for  us  to  seek  seclusion 
amid  the  wastes,  where  else  than  in  a  library  can  we  obtain 
that  mental  solitude  so  necessary  for  the  nourishing  of  our 
literary  spirit  ? 

Roger  Ascham,  sick  at  heart  with  long  parting  from  his 
beloved  books,  writes  to  Sir  William  Cecil  from  Brussels  in 
1553,  to  beg  that  '  libertie  to  lern,  and  leysor  to  wryte,'  which 
his  beloved  Cambridge  alone  could  afford  him.  *  I  do  wel 
perceyve,'  he  says,  '  their  is  no  soch  quietnesse  in  England, 
nor  pleasur  in  strange  contres,  as  even  in  S.  Jons  Colledg,  to 
kepe  company  with  the  Bible,  Plato,  Aristotle,  Demosthenes, 
and  Tullie.*  And  he  goes  on  to  say,  '  Thus  I,  first  by  myn 
own  natur,  .  .  .  lastly  caulled  by  quietnesse,  thought  it  good 
to  couche  myself  in  Cambridge  ageyn.' 

Yet  although  we  may  seek  solitude  among  our  books,  how 
far  removed  are  we  from  being  really  alone !  *  A  man  is 
never  less  alone  than  when  he  is  alone,'  said  the  noble 
Scipio*  ;  and  this  is  especially  true  of  the  book-lover.  WTiat 
bibliophile  does  not  prefer  the  companionship  of  his  books 
to  that  of  all  other  friends?     What  friends  so  steadfast,  so 


*  '  Nunquam  minus  solus  quam  cum  solus.'       Alfonso  d'Este  (born  1476) 
had  it  carved  on  the  mantelpiece  of  his  study  at  Belvedere. 


The  Library  39 

reliable  in  their  friendship,  so  helpful  in  our  difficulties,  so 
apt  upon  all  occasions,  as  the  books  which  form  our  library  ? 
They  are  never  elated  at  our  mistakes,  they  are  never 
'  superior '  when  we  display  ignorance.  Human  friendships 
are  limited ;  but  to  the  number  of  our  most  intimate 
acquaintances  in  cloth,  vellum,  and  morocco,  there  is  no  end. 

It  is  this  universal  sympathy  afforded  by  our  books  that 
makes  our  sanctum  such  a  delicious  retreat.  Here  we  need 
never  be  bored,  for  we  can  put  aside  the  tedious  or  insipid 
at  will,  and  turn  to  whatever  subject  or  companion  our  fancy 
indicates.  We  are  not  bound  to  talk  with  persons  or  on  \  ., 
themes  that  have  no  interest  for  us.  There  is  no  clashing  of  1/  ' 
ideas,  and  complete  harmony  reigns  amid  our  comfort. 

To  the  man  of  literary  tastes  there  are  few  things  more 
depressing  than  the  conversations  of  '  small-talk  *  which  an 
exacting  society  occasionally  demands.  Who  has  not  suffered 
from  their  enervating  effects?  We  are  not  all  possessed  of 
that  mental  abstraction  which  La  Fontaine  succeeded  in 
carrying  with  him  throughout  hfe,  forming  a  buffer  from  which 
all  idle  talk  rebounded.  He  was  once  asked  to  dinner  by  a 
*  fermier-general '  to  amuse  the  guests.  Thoroughly  bored, 
La  Fontaine  ate  much  and  said  little,  and  rising  very  early 
from  the  table  said  that  he  had  to  go  to  the  Academy.  '  Oh,' 
said  his  host,  '  but  you  are  much  too  early  for  it.'  '  Oh  well,' 
replied  Jean,  *  /  shall  go  the  longest  way  to  it*  Poor  Jean 
was  really  very  absent-minded.  He  had  a  son  whom  he 
confided  at  the  age  of  fourteen  to  a  friend  to  educate.  Not 
having  seen  the  youth  for  a  long  time,  he  met  him  one  day 
at  the  house  of  a  savant  without  knowing  him.  Afterwards 
he  happened  to  mention  that  he  thought  him  a  youth  of  wit 
and  taste.  Some  one  told  him  that  the  lad  was  his  own  son. 
'  Is  he  indeed,'  said  Jean,  '  well  I'm  very  glad  to  hear  it.' 

There  is  no  end  to  the  delightful  hobbies  that  we  may 
cultivate  in  a  library.  Here  we  may  go  fishing  or  whaling, 
fighting  battles  or  exploring  new  countries,  tracing  pedigrees 
or  going  on  crusade,  cutting  our  way  through  virgin  forests  or 


40  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

filling  herbaceous  borders  in  our  mind,  or  we  may  even 
descend  into  the  pyramid  of  Cheops. 

Our  book-hunter  has  a  friend  whose  hobby  takes  the  form 
of  tracing  the  parentage  and  posterity  of  men  who  lived  long 
years  ago.  They  are  mostly  unknown  to  fame,  and  their 
names  are  only  to  be  found  in  ancient  peerages  and  suchlike 
books.  Whether  they  were  good  or  bad,  religious  or  wicked, 
useful  to  their  country  or  indifferent,  handsome  or  ugly,  is 
immaterial  to  him.  In  some  cases  they  founded  families  that 
have  endured,  in  others  they  perished  with  all  their  kindred 
within  a  century  of  the  Norman  Conquest.  But  to  our  genea- 
logist they  are  very  living  people.  He  is  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  most  of  them,  no  less  than  with  their  wives 
and  children,  their  fathers  and  grandfathers,  their  uncles  and 
their  aunts.  As  to  the  personal  characteristics  of  Reginald 
Fitz-Ranulf  lord  of  Bosham  Castle  in  Com.  Ebor,  or  his  deeds 
or  memorable  actions  (if,  indeed,  he  ever  perpetrated  any)  this 
student  is  unable  to  enlighten  us.  But  that  his  wife  was  called 
Gunnora  and  that  she  was  a  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Richard 
de  Tourville,  he  is  quite  positive.  Apparently  they  had  two 
sons,  Fulk  and  Waleran,  but  our  friend  is  strongly  of  opinion 
that  Hamon  FitzReginald  (who  had  a  moiety  of  the  manor  of 
Worthleys  and  was  co-parcener  with  Payn  FitzGeoffrey  lord 
of  Buncombe)  was  really  a  son  of  Reginald  by  a  former  wife. 

The  memory  of  this  eager  student  is  little  short  of 
marvellous.  He  can  remember  not  only  names  and  marriages, 
but  at  least  several  of  the  families  which  owned  any  manor 
that  you  like  to  mention.  He  would  certainly  have  put  to  the 
blush  Pierre  d'Hozier,  the  great  French  genealogist  whose 
memory  was  so  wonderful  that  it  was  said  he  must  surely 
have  been  present  at  all  the  marriages  and  baptisms  in 
Christendom ! 

The  library  of  this  genealogist  is  a  most  interesting  room. 
Many  of  the  books  necessary  for  his  researches  are  of  folio 
size  and  must  be  ready  to  hand ;  so  they  are  ranged  round 
the  apartment  at  the  level  of  one's  waist.     On  entering  the 


The  Library  41 

room  one  is  struck  by  this  belt  of  massive  volumes,  the  more 
so  when  their  owner  takes  them  up  casually  and  turns  to  page 
after  page  without  ever  troubling  to  refer  to  the  index. 

An  evening  spent  with  him  is  quite  exciting.  He  asks  the 
book-hunter's  assistance  over  a  knotty  point.  Several  huge 
sheets  of  paper  are  laid  upon  the  table,  and  each  step  in  the 
pedigree  is  debated  graphically.  Volume  after  volume  is 
referred  to.  At  the  slightest  hitch  out  come  Patent  Rolls, 
Close  Rolls,  Fine  Rolls,  Pipe  Rolls,  and  records  of  almost 
every  description.  Presently  the  room  has  the  appearance  of 
having  been  struck  by  a  tornado.  Volumes  are  lying  about 
everywhere,  and  in  every  conceivable  position.  The  floor  is 
covered  with  them,  all  the  chairs  are  in  use,  three  Patent  Rolls 
are  lying  open  and  face  downwards  on  the  mantelpiece,  there 
are  several  on  the  hearthrug.  In  fact  it  is  now  impossible  to 
move.  Yet  our  host,  accustomed  to  these  things,  in  his  search 
for  a  volume  Jumps  from  spot  to  spot  with  the  agility  of  an 
antelope.  The  book-shelves  are  half-emptied,  some  of  the 
remaining  volumes  have  fallen  down.  My  coffee  cup  lies  on 
a  pile  composed  of  Rotiili  Hiindredoruni,  a  Placita  Abbrev- 
iation and  a  Testa  de  Nevil.  But  it  is  good  fun,  if  exhausting, 
and  a  sovereign  cure  for  insomnia.  Our  book-hunter  usually 
leaves  him  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the 
genealogist  is  genuinely  sorry  when  he  goes. 

But  to  tell  the  truth  our  bookman  is  not  a  bit  the  wiser 
as  to  Reginald  FitzRanulf ! 

One  day  friend  Brown  (for  so  he  is  called)  came  to  see  the 
book-hunter  in  great  distress.  He  had  but  lately  become  a 
parent,  and  was  still  slightly  excited  about  it. 

*  *Pon  my  word,'  said  he,  '  I  don't  know  what  to  do.  You 
know  how  proud  I  am  of  my  family,  and  how  I  hoped  all  along 
that  it  would  be  a  boy  so  that  I  could  give  it  the  name  that 
generations  of  my  ancestors  possessed.  And  now  Mary  says 
she  won't  hear  of  it.' 

The  bookman  sympathised  with  him,  but  asked  what  was 
the  proposed  name. 


42  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

'  Turchetil,'  said  he ;  '  they  were  all  called  that  for 
generations.  But  of  course  the  name  wasn't  Brown  then, 
Le  Brun  was  the  family  name  in  the  twelfth  century.* 

*  A  fine  lofty  name,'  replied  his  friend,  '  but  wouldn't 
Turchetil  Brown  sound  rather  funny  nowadays  ?  ' 

'  I  don't  see  why,'  said  he  stiffly  ;  '  they're  both  good  old 
names.' 

The  bookman  assented,  though  inwardly  he  could  not  but 
agree  with  Mrs.  Brown.  Turchetil  Le  Brun  was  one  thing, 
and  Turchetil  Brown  quite  another.  Perhaps,  however,  a 
compromise  might  be  reached. 

*  Is  there  no  other  ancient  name  in  your  family  that  would 
do  ?  '  he  suggested. 

'  Yes,'  said  the  genealogist.  '  there  are  two  others,  but  not 
so  good  as  Turchetil.     They  are  Baldric  and  Bigod  .  .  .' 

Truly  the  study  of  genealogy  has  its  disadvantages.  There 
must  have  been  great  bitterness  in  the  Brown  household 
before  its  mistress  obtained  her  own  way,  and  even  more  in 
the  heart  of  our  poor  friend  as  he  stood  at  the  font  and  heard 
his  firstborn  son  irrevocably  named — George. 

Another  friend  and  brother  collector  with  whom  our  book- 
hunter  sometimes  passes  an  evening  is  a  medical  man  of  no 
small  talent.  But  attached  as  he  is  to  his  profession, 
archaeology  is  for  ever  striving  with  medicine  for  the  first 
place  in  his  affections,  and  his  knowledge  of  herbals  and  the 
literature  of  alchemy  is  immense.  His  collection  of  works 
dealing  with  these  subjects  is  well  known  to  the  booksellers, 
and  the  book-hunter  sometimes  receives  a  line  from  him 
asking  him  to  pay  a  visit  for  the  purpose  of  examining  some 
recently  acquired  treasure. 

Of  late  his  hobby  has  taken  a  curious  turn.  A  chance 
conversation  induced  him  to  inquire  into  the  death  of  Queen 
Anne.  He  professed  to  discover,  in  the  accounts  of  her 
demise,  certain  symptoms  which  indicated  a  different  disease 
from  that  usually  assigned  to  her.  So  now  he  must  needs 
hold  an  inquest  upon  the  death  of  each  one  of  our  sovereigns. 


The  Library  43 

from  the  time  of  King  William  the  Conqueror.  He  is 
exceedingly  enthusiastic  about  it,  and  is  preparing  a  paper 
to  read  before  the  local  antiquarian  society.  In  this  he  hopes 
to  prove  conclusively  the  impossibility  of  lampreys  having 
had  any  share  in  the  death  of  Henry  the  First,  which  was 
clearly  due  to  appendicitis. 

Sometimes  when  the  book-hunter  visited  his  medical  friend 
he  would  find  another  collector  there  already,  deep  in  bookish 
or  scientific  talk.  Like  the  doctor,  the  biologist  was  a 
specialist  in  books  no  less  than  in  science,  and  his  hobby 
comprised  a  field  till  recent  times  untilled.  Keen  though  he 
was  in  his  pursuit,  it  was  the  sea  that  claimed  his  every  day 
of  leisure.  An  active  mind,  eager  in  the  elucidation  of  the 
more  abstruse  problems  of  physiology,  yet  his  alert  bearing, 
his  quickness  of  movement  and  springy  step,  spoke  more  of 
the  quarterdeck  than  the  laboratory.  Denied  the  sea  as  a 
profession,  his  heart  was  for  ever  in  ships ;  and  when  at 
length  preferment  took  him  inland  to  one  of  the  ancient  seats 
of  learning,  the  ordered  training  of  his  mind  turned  his  hobby 
towards  the  history  and  evolution  of  all  craft  that  sail  upon 
the  waters. 

He  is  a  great  authority  upon  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
rigging  of  mediaeval  ships.  The  history  of  their  hulls  he 
leaves  to  the  attention  of  the  important  societies  of  nautical 
research.  But  on  the  evolution  of  the  sky-topsail  or  fore-top- 
gallant-backstays  his  word  carries  much  weight.  He  will 
travel  a  hundred  miles  in  a  week-end  to  see  an  illumination 
or  carving  of  a  ship,  and  his  vacations  he  spends  touring 
France  and  Flanders  in  search  of  stained  glass  windows  that 
may  throw  some  light  upon  his  hobby.  His  collection  of 
seals  incised  with  ancient  ships  is  a  fine  one,  and  the 
proceedings  of  more  than  one  society  are  the  richer  for  his 
researches. 

Not  long  ago  I  came  across  another  example  of  the  mani- 
fold uses  to  which  a  private  hbrary  can  be  put.  A  friend  had 
given  me  a  letter  of  introduction  to  a  collector  with  whom  he 


44  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

desired  me  to  become  acquainted.  I  was  given  to  understand 
that  the  fellow-spint  was  an  exceedingly  well-read  man,  and 
something  of  a  wanderer. 

'  He's  a  great  traveller,'  said  my  friend  with  a  laugh, 
*  there's  hardly  a  country  in  the  world  that  he  has  not  visited.' 

'  What  an  interesting  man  he  must  be,'  I  replied,  '  but  why 
do  you  laugh  ?  ' 

'  Oh,  you'll  see  all  right  presently,'  said  he  ;  *  but  go  and 
spend  an  evening  with  him  ;  you  will  certainly  be  entertained 
— provided  you  are  sympathetic  and  content  to  let  him  do  all 
the  talking.' 

So  a  few  days  later  I  called  at  the  house  of  the  traveller. 
He  welcomed  me  in  his  study,  a  fine  large  room  yet  possessed 
of  that  cosiness  imparted  by  the  presence  of  many  books. 
The  walls  were  entirely  covered  with  bookcases  to  a  height 
of  about  eight  feet ;  and  these  contained,  he  told  me,  about 
three  thousand  volumes.  At  the  end  of  this  long  room  was 
a  wide  bay  window,  and  here  was  placed  a  comfortable  easy 
chair  with  twin  oak  tables,  very  strong  and  low,  at  either  arm. 
Close  at  hand  were  a  revolving  bookcase  and  a  stand 
containing  five  or  six  japanned  cylinders  about  three  feet 
long,  and  some  six  inches  across,  such  as  are  used  to  contain 
nautical  charts. 

*  You  are  fond  of  travel,  are  you  not  ?  '  I  remarked,  as  soon 
as  I  was  settled.  '  Jones  told  me  that  there  are  few  countries 
with  which  you  are  unacquainted.' 

'  That  is  so,'  he  replied ;  '  travel  has  always  been  my 
passion  from  my  youth  up,  and  of  all  the  volumes  which  you 
see  around  you,  there  are  scarcely  a  hundred  that  do  not  treat 
of  some  foreign  country  or  voyage.' 

'  How  interesting,'  I  replied  ;  '  it  is  a  wise  old  dictum  that 
there  is  nothing  like  travel  to  broaden  one's  mind.  Unless 
we  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  opinions  held  by  men  of  other 
nations,  men  whose  everyday  life  differs  so  widely  from  our 
own,  who  see  things  consequently  from  a  different  standpoint, 
how  can  we  expect  to  regard  any  subject  from  all  its  various 


The  Library  45 

aspects,  which  is  essential  if  we  are  to  pronounce  an  opinion 
which ' 

'  Quite  so,'  he  interrupted,  eyeing  me  suspiciously,  and 
obviously  fearing  from  my  verbiage  that  he  was  about  to  be 
beset  by  a  bore.  (To  tell  the  truth,  I  was  rather  glad  of  his 
interruption,  for  the  sentence  was  beginning  to  get  out  of 
hand.)  '  As  you  say,  there's  nothing  like  travel  to  broaden 
the  mind.  Why,'  he  went  on  hurriedly,  *  before  I  was 
eighteen  I  had  been  up  Aconcagua  with  Conway.' 

'  Really  ?  '  I  said,  trying  to  associate  the  two  with  a  country 
and  a  date.  (Of  course  I  knew  where  Aconcagua  was — it 
was  one  of  the  most  familiar  names  in  my  geography,  only  for 
the  moment  memory  was  a  little  refractory.  Obviously  it  was 
a  mountain,  because  he  spoke  of  having  been  *  up  *  it.  The 
name  had  a  Spanish  ending — of  course !  now  I  knew.)  '  A 
wonderful  country,  Mexico,'  I  went  on. 

'  Mexico  ?  '  said  he  ;  '  yes,  I  know  Mexico  too.  Been  right 
through  it,  from  Chihuahua  to  Tehuentepec  and  Campeachy.* 
(This  was  unfortunate,  but  apparently  he  didn't  notice  the 
mistake,  for  he  went  on  at  once.)  '  But  as  I  was  saying,  I'd 
been  up  Aconcagua  before  I  left  school.* 

'  Good  gracious,'  I  replied,  amazed  at  his  intrepidity,  '  that 
must  have  been  an  experience !  ' 

'Rather,'  said  he.-  'Haven't  you  read  Conway's  book? 
Published  in  '02,  I  think.'  He  strode  across  the  room  and 
brought  back  a  volume.  '  Yes,  1902 :  capital  book  ;  Vv^ell 
worth  reading.  But  Mexico,'  he  continued,  without  giving  me 
time  to  display  the  knowledge  that  I  suddenly  recollected  as 
I  turned  the  pages  of  the  book,  '  Ah!  there's  a  countr\'  for 
you!     How  I  enjoyed  my  first  visit!     Ever  been  there?  ' 

'  Alas!  no,'  I  replied  ;  '  but  one  of  my  fondest  dreams  has 
been  to  visit  the  ancient  cities  of  the  new  world.'  (I  thought 
that  was  rather  nicely  put) 

'  Charnay,'  he  said  ;  '  you  know  Charnay,  then  ?  It  was  he 
who  took  me  there  first.  Early  'eighties,  I  think.'  He  pulled 
out  another  volume  and  turned  to  the  title-page.     '  Here  we 


46  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

are,  "  The  Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World,"  '87.  My  copy 
is  only  the  translation,  published  two  years  after  the  original 
appeared.' 

This  puzzled  me  rather.  If  he  had  been  eighteen  in  1902, 
he  must  have  been  a  mere  babe  in  1885. 

'  Rather  young,  were  you  not,  when  you  were  there  ? '  I 
ventured. 

'  Young  ?     Why  ?  '  he  replied. 

'  Oh,  only  because  you  said  that  you  were  eighteen  when 
you  ascended  Aconcagua  in  1902,  so  I  thought  that  you  must 
have  been  rather  young  when  you  were  in  Mexico  in  1885.' 

He  stood  still  and  stared  at  me,  a  puzzled  look  on  his  face. 

'  Good  gracious,'  he  said,  'didn't  Jones  tell  you?  Didn't 
he  explain  to  you  about  me  and  my  travels  ?  ' 

*  Oh  yes,'  I  hastened  to  reassure  him,  fearful  that  I  had 
given  offence ;  '  he  told  me  that  you  were  a  widely-travelled 
man ;  and,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  say  so,  I  think  he 
understated ' 

'  Yes,  yes,'  he  went  on,  '  but  didn't  he  tell  you  how  I 
travelled?  Didn't  he  tell  you  that  I  had  never  been  out  of 
Europe  ?  This  is  my  world,'  he  continued,  waving  his  arm 
round  the  bookcases  ;  '  here  are  my  Americas,  my  Africa,  my 
Asia,  my  Europe,  and  my  Australia.  There  (pointing  to  a 
case  by  the  window)  is  my  West  Indies,  here  (indicating 
another  one)  is  my  Polynesia,  there  my  Arctic  and  Antarctic. 
Here  (patting  the  back  of  the  big  easy  chair)  is  my  steamboat, 
my  mule,  and  my  cameL  No  weather  can  delay  me,  no  storm 
prevent  my  setting  out.  Though  it  snow  a  blizzard,  still  can 
I  cross  the  very  summits  of  the  Andes :  be  there  a  year-old 
drought,  still  may  I  journey  from  Sydney  to  Port  Darwin 
overland.* 

I  could  only  marvel  at  the  man.  No  world-wide  traveller 
could  have  been  prouder  or  have  found  greater  satisfaction  in 
the  contemplation  of  his  travels.  And  a  further  conversation 
assured  me  that,  assisted  by  a  good  memory,  he  knew  more, 
far  more,  of  the  countries  about  which  he  had  read  so  many 


The  Library  47 

books  than  did  ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred  of  the  tourists 
who  had  actually  visited  those  lands. 

*  Don't  think,'  he  said,  '  that  I  merely  pass  my  time  reading 
promiscuously  all  manner  of  books  of  travel.  I  do  nothing 
of  the  sort.  At  the  beginning  of  each  year  I  map  out  the 
countries  I  intend  to  visit  during  that  year.  So  much  time  is 
allotted  to  each,  according  to  the  size  of  the  country  and  that 
of  its  travel  literature.  Then  I  compile  a  list  of  the  books 
that  I  intend  to  read,  and  the  order  in  which  they  should  be 
read.  I  have  a  fine  collection  of  maps,  and  those  tin  cylinders 
over  there  contain  charts,  by  means  of  which  I  am  enabled  to 
follow  more  accurately  and  minutely  the  different  journeys  and 
voyages  that  I  make. 

*  Let  me  give  you  an  example.'  Here  he  took  a  thin  octavo 
book  from  one  of  the  cases.  *  This  is  Commodore  John 
Byron's  narrative  of  the  loss  of  H.M.S.  Wager,  one  of  Anson's- 
squadron,  on  the  coast  of  Chili,  in  1740.  It  was  published  in 
1768,  and  is,  in  my  opinion,  one  of  the  most  thrilling  tales  of 
shipwreck  and  suffering  that  has  ever  been  written.  I  dare 
say  you  remember  Campbell's  beautiful  lines  in  "The 
Pleasures  of  Hope  "  ;  they  are  pencilled  on  the  fly-leaf  of 
my  copy :  — 

'  "  And  such  thy  strength-inspiring  aid  that  bore 
The  hardy  Byron  to  his  native  shore — 
In   horrid    climes,    where   Chiloe's   tempests   sweep 
Tumultuous  murmurs  o'er  the  troubled  deep, 
'Twas  his  to  mourn  misfortune's  rudest  shock, 
Scourg'd  by  the  winds,  and  cradled  on  the  rock. 
To  wake  each  joyless  morn  and  search  again 
The  famish'd  haunts  of  solitary  men." 

'  There  is  no  map  in  the  volume,  much  less  a  chart,  to  show- 
where  the  ship  struck,  though  we  are  told  that  the  land  was- 
"  on  the  larboard  beam,  bearing  N.W.,"  and  that  they  landed 
"  in  the  latitude  of  between  47  and  48°  South."  But  without 
charts  and  maps  how  can  one  possibly  follow  the  journey  of 
the  four  poor  sufferers  along  the  coast  on  that  terrible  march 
from  Mount  Misery  (as  they  named  the  inhospitable 
promontory  where  they  landed)  to  civilisation  on  the  island 
of  Chiloe?     With  my  maps  I  can  follow  their  ever}'  footstep,. 


48  The  Book-Hunt er  at  Home 

with  my  chart  I  may  visit  each  inlet  that  their  frail  canoe 
entered.  Nor  need  I  refer  to  these  aids  whenever  I  may  turn 
to  the  volume  again,  for  here  (he  unfolded  a  beautifully  drawn 
map  bound  at  the  end  of  the  volume)  I  have  copied  a  chart 
which  shows  with  a  red  line  the  whole  of  their  terrible  journey. 
I  have  done  this  with  several  of  the  older  works  on  travel 
which  I  possess,  books  that  were  published  without  maps.' 

To  me  at  least  it  was  a  new  aspect  of  book-collecting, 
and  an  interesting  one.  But  I  confess  to  having  been 
impressed  more  by  its  originality  and  the  patient  persever- 
ance of  its  devotee  than  by  the  knowledge  which  it  had 
enabled  him  to  accumulate.  His  was  a  vast  knowledge, 
yet  limited  ;  for  it  was  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  topo- 
graphy and  early  exploration  of  the  countries  which  he 
studied,  together  with  such  sociology  as  he  would  glean  midst 
travellers'  accounts  of  adventures  and  sport.  Development, 
resources,  industry,  had  little  place  in  it.  He  was  thoroughly 
conversant  with  the  early  history  of  Australia,  could  recite  the 
names  of  all  the  early  pioneers,  and  could  plot  Burke's 
expedition  or  Phillip's  voyage  to  Botany  Bay.  But  of 
Melbourne  or  Sydney  to-day,  their  size,  commerce,  exports, 
the  principal  industries  or  railways,  of  these  he  knew  nothing. 
On  the  other  hand,with  those  countries  which  have  come  less 
quickly  under  the  hand  of  civilisation,  such  as  New  Guinea  or 
West  Africa,  he  was  well  acquainted.  He  had  followed  the 
history  of  this  last  down  to  fairly  modern  times,  knew  the  story 
of  every  settlement  from  Bathurst  to  the  Bight  and  to 
Benguela,  with  their  principal  exports ;  and  could  talk 
interestedly  with  any  dweller  on  '  the  Coast.' 

He  is  still  comparatively  a  young  man.  If  ever  he  sets  out 
to  see  the  world  for  himself,  his  pleasures  will  far  exceed  those 
of  the  ordinary  tourist.  Wherever  he  may  go,  he  will  need  no 
guide-book  to  instruct  him,  in  history  at  least.  And  he  will 
visit  out-of-the-way  spots  unnoticed  by  these  authorities,  but 
dear  to  him  by  reason  of  their  mention  in  the  pages  of  his 
fireside  Mentors,  their  association  with  some  thrilling  though 


The  Library  49- 

unimportant  event  of  which  he  has  read.  Harbours,  villages, 
buildings,  will  be  familiar  to  him  through  some  old  print  or 
coloured  engraving ;  and  he  will  eagerly  compare  the  actual 
appearance  with  the  mental  picture  he  has  borne  for  so  long. 
Disappointment  sometimes  there  will  be,  but  a  delightful 
anticipation  always. 

I  hope,  however,  that  I  shall  never  be  his  travelling 
companion ! 

And  here  I  cannot  forbear  to  mention  one  other  book- 
collecting  acquaintance.  A  bosom  friend  of  the  genealogist,, 
he  was  at  one  time  a  fellow-worker,  and  they  would  sit 
closeted  for  hours  debating  the  parentage  of  Henry  ap  John. 
But  he  lacked  that  determination  which  prevented  his  friend 
from  being  constantly  side-tracked,  and  the  minutiae  of  history 
had  a  fatal  attraction  for  him.  As  to  whether  Hugo  de 
Beauchamp  of  Com.  Wigorn.  (which  was  their  pleasant  way 
of  saying  that  he  lived  in  Worcestershire)  held  his  manor  by 
serjeanty  of  the  condimentum  was  of  small  moment  to  him 
compared  with  the  price  which  King  Edward  paid  him  for  a 
couple  of  goshawks  or  a  greyhound ;  and  he  wondered  of 
what  sort  was  the  tun  of  wine  which  he  had  from  that 
sovereign  as  a  Christmas  present.  And  so  his  book-buying 
became  more  and  more  confined,  for  it  was  restricted  now  to 
those  curious  and  uncommon  works  which  treat  of  the  byways 
of  history ;  such  as  the  Accounts  of  the  Wardrobe  and 
Hanaper,  the  reports  of  the  lords  marchers  of  the  realm^ 
books  on  feudal  customs  and  offices,  and  the  like. 

During  the  great  war  our  friend  busied  himself  with  His 
Majesty's  ordnance.  Hitherto  he  had  always  associated  the 
term  with  cast-iron  cannon,  and  had  vague  recollections  of 
the  number  of  '  ordnance '  carried  by  the  Great  Harry  or 
fired  from  the  Tower  of  London  during  Sir  Thomas  Wyatt's 
insurrection.  But  even  when  these  dreams  were  dispelled, 
his  thoughts  still  harped  on  mediaeval  equipment  and  harness 
while  checking  cases  of  boots  or  mess-tins  ;  and  he  wondered 
how  such  things  were  managed  before  the  days  of  railways. 


50  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Released  at  length  from  this  employ,  his  interest  increased 
with  leisure  to  pursue  his  investigations. 

His  passion  now  is  the  method  in  which  the  ancient 
campaigns  of  this  country  were  conducted.  He  is  quite  an 
■authority  upon  mediaeval  transport,  by  sea  as  well  as  by  land, 
and  he  can  tell  you  at  once  the  quantities  of  bowstrings  and 
quarrels  '  indented  for '  during  the  Crecy  and  Poictiers 
campaigns.  Not  long  ago,  poring  over  an  ancient  roll  of 
parchment  in  the  Record  Office,  he  came  across  a  list  of  the 
ships  requisitioned  for  the  Agincourt  expedition,  with  their 
names,  ports,  and  tonnage,  inscribed  on  the  back  of  one  of  the 
membranes.  Great  was  his  delight,  and  it  will  be  some  time 
before  his  friends  will  be  allowed  to  forget  this  important 
■discovery. 

How  valuable  are  these  researches  of  our  book-collecting 
friends !  Do  they  not  add  a  zest  to  those  delightful  evenings 
when,  with  curtains  drawn  and  blazing  fire,  our  favourite  pipe 
•aglow,  a  tall  glass  at  our  elbow,  we  hunt  our  treasures  o'er 
again  in  comfort,  roaming  the  bookstalls  of  our  fancy?  It  is 
Avell,  however,  that  our  humours  in  book-lore  are  not  all  alike, 
else  how  tedious  would  some  of  these  conferences  become. 
Elation  and  jealousy  would  be  hard  to  banish  at  times  when 
Ave  held  some  coveted  volume  in  our  hands.  But  with 
divergence  of  tastes  such  feelings  cannot  exist,  and  we 
-eagerly  share  our  friends'  enthusiasm  in  their  treasures  and 
their  delight  in  some  newly-found  gem. 

It  is  a  very  serious  business,  this  book-collecting.  Whether 
we  are  contented  now  to  let  our  library  be  slow  of  growth, 
or  whether  we  are  still  imbued  with  the  ardour  of  our  early 
youth,  we  are  none  the  less  under  the  spell  of  books.  Our 
paths  may  lie  outside  the  pale  of  book-land  for  years,  but  the 
chance  handling  of  a  valuable  or  scarce  volume  will  instantly 
awaken  all  our  bibliophihc  desires.  Book-collecting  is  not 
like  other  pursuits.  In  after  years  we  may  realise  that  many 
'of  our  hobbies  are  but  vanities,  but  the  love  of  good  books  is 
something  far  beyond  all  these  ephemeral  pursuits. 


The  Library  51 

Doubtless  few  of  us  realised  at  the  outset  of  our  careers  as 
book  collectors  how  completely  we  should  be  mastered  by  this 
love  of  books.  Who  did  not  think  that  it  comprised  but 
occasional  visits  to  the  book-shops  and  bookstalls,  perhaps 
even  to  an  auction-room,  and  the  reading  of  nondescript 
catalogues  ?  But  it  is  like  all  other  hobbies :  ridden  at  first 
with  too  little  restraint,  it  soon  gets  the  upper  hand,  and 
off  it  goes,  bit  between  teeth,  carrying  its  rider  ever  farther 
and  farther  afield.  And  no  man  of  spirit  would  think  of 
seeking  to  curb  his  hobby's  gallop.  We  have  mounted  of 
our  own  free  will,  determined  to  pursue  the  chase,  and  never 
shall  it  be  said  that  we  were  too  timid  to  face  the  difficulties 
of  the  country  ahead.  The  greater  the  difficulties  the  greater 
the  sport,  and  in  our  enthusiasm  we  are  determined  to  over- 
come all  obstacles.  So  that,  though  our  hobby  may  at  length 
become  our  master,  so  enthralled  are  we  in  the  pursuit  that 
there  is  little  danger  of  it  assuming  the  semblance  of  a 
nightmare. 

The  farther  we  go,  the  wider  the  fields  which  open  to  our 
view,  and  there  is  interest  for  us  in  all  of  them.  We  roam  at 
our  pleasure  over  vast  fields  of  literature,  digressing  here  and 
there  just  as  our  fancy  takes  us.  There  is  no  danger,  more- 
over, in  being  side-tracked,  for  such  divagations  in  the  realms 
of  bibliography  as  we  may  make  will  serve  but  to  increase 
our  knowledge  of  books  in  the  right  direction.  The  only  risk 
that  we  shall  incur  is  that  of  becoming  specialists,  which  is 
precisely  what  we  should  most  desire. 

And  how  delightful  are  these  digressions  in  the  world  of 
books!  There  is  no  other  occupation  in  which  one  may 
wander  so  innocuously.  In  most  of  the  learned  professions 
digressions  are  fatal  to  success.  Anthony  Despeisses  was  a 
lawyer  who  used  frequently  to  digress.  Beginning  one  day 
in  Court  to  talk  of  Ethiopia,  an  attorney  who  sat  behind  him 
remarked  '  Heavens!  He  is  got  into  Ethiopia,  he  will  never 
come  back.'  Despeisses,  we  are  told,  was  so  abashed  with 
the  ridicule  that  he  chose  rather  to  leave  off  pleading  than  to 


52  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

correct  himself  of  this  unfortunate  habit,  and  quitted  the  Bar 
for  ever.  Doubtless  he  found  solace  among  his  books,  for 
here  at  least  he  could  digress  to  his  heart's  content. 

Although,  from  a  worldly  point  of  view,  side-tracks  are  fatal 
to  success,  yet  they  are  as  necessary  a  part  of  our  literary 
education  as  is  the  application  to  study  itself.  Without 
digressing  as  we  applied  ourselves  to  books,  narrow  indeed 
would  be  the  views  that  we  acquired.  Of  what  value  is  a  vast 
acquaintance  with  the  material  details  of  a  war,  if  we  are 
ignorant  as  to  the  causes  which  brought  it  about,  or  the 
reasons  why  the  nations  were  warring  ?  '  Ah  yes,*  perhaps 
you  may  exclaim,  '  but  politics  and  history  are  all  one,  for 
the  former  creates  the  latter.'  Precisely:  so  that  in  order 
to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  one,  we  must  deviate  to  the 
other.  Sharon  Turner  in  his  '  History  of  England  during  the 
Middle  Ages  '  passes  abruptly  from  the  death  of  King  Henry 
the  Second  to  the  military  spirit  of  Mohammedanism,  from 
the  Troubadours  to  the  early  dissipations  of  King  John,  and 
devotes  two  of  his  five  volumes  to  the  Literature  of  England 
with  copious  examples  of  early  poetry.  It  is  all  history,  yet 
how  indispensable  are  the  side-tracks. 

It  is  a  subtle  art,  however,  this  knowledge  of  how  and  when 
to  digress,  and  not  easy  to  be  learnt.  Gerard  de  St.  Amand 
died  of  grief  in  his  middle  age  because  Louis  XIV.  could  not 
bear  his  reading  of  a  poem  on  the  Moon,  in  which  he  praised 
the  King  for  his  skill  in  swimming.  On  the  other  hand 
Madame  de  Stael  obtained  almost  all  the  material  for  her 
literary  work  by  a  consummate  skill  in  directing  the 
digressions  of  conversation.  Upon  whatever  subject  her  pen 
was  engaged,  that  was  the  theme  to  which  she  led  all  talk. 

Sir  Thomas  Browne's  famous  letter  *  To  a  friend  upon 
occasion  of  the  death  of  his  intimate  friend  '  is  a  masterpiece 
of  the  art  of  digressing.  Surely  it  is  one  of  the  quaintest 
letters  of  condolence  ever  written,  if  indeed  it  were  ever 
intended  to  be  such,  for  it  has  that  stamp  of  careful 
literary    composition   which    is    usually    so    apparent    in    all 


The  Library  53 

letters  written  with  a  view  to  publication.  The  friend  in 
question  died  of  a  consumption,  and  Sir  Thomas  recapitulates 
his  disease,  symptoms  and  death  ;  contrasting  each  feature 
with  the  celebrated  examples  of  history ;  moralising  and 
discussing  the  opinions  of  the  ancients  upon  these  points  as 
he  goes  along ;  and  showing  by  his  own  experience  that  a 
man  '  after  a  cough  of  almost  fifty  years,  in  whom  all  the 
lobes  adhered  unto  the  Pleura,'  might  yet  die  of  stone  in  the 
bladder  Doubtless  the  friend  to  whom  the  letter  was  indited 
was  highly  edihed  by  the  aged  doctor's  learning,  yet  one 
cannot  conceive  that  he  would  be  greatly  consoled  by  being 
informed,  when  discussing  the  patient's  cough,  that  '  in 
cetaceous  Fishes,  who  have  large  and  strong  lungs,  the  same 
is  not  observed ;  nor  yet  in  oviparous  Quadrupeds.' 
Digressing  in  this  manner  is  a  risky  business,  and  if  the  grief 
were  still  fresh,  it  is  more  than  likely  that  the  bereaved  one 
would  exclaim  *  A  fig  for  your  fishes,  Sir.'  But  Sir  Thomas 
was  a  wise  and  worldly  man,  and  would  know  from  experience 
precisely  when  to  administer  his  soothing  draught. 

The  attractions  of  digressing  are  far  more  insidious  than 
would  appear  at  first  sight.  It  is  so  easy,  one  finds  such 
delightful  things,  it  is  all  in  the  daily  task  of  gathering 
knowledge,  it  may  be  useful  to  us  some  day,  and  so  on.  But, 
unwisely  employed,  it  is  a  more  terrible  thief  of  time  even 
than  Young's  '  procrastination.'  Worse  still,  it  is  a  waster ; 
for  the  scrappy  knowledge  so  often  acquired  by  this  means 
becomes  invariably  the  '  little  learning  '  which  is  so  dangerous 
— and  useless — a  thing.  So  that  unless  we  are  strongly 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  scholarly  research,  determined  that 
we  will  not  deviate  one  iota  from  the  particular  side-track 
which  we  are  exploring,  we  are  in  grave  danger  of  becoming 
lost  in  the  maze  of  paths.  Digressions  in  conversation  and 
books  can  be  of  immense  value,  but  he  must  be  a  man  of 
iron  will  who  can  utilise  to  permanent  advantage  his  resources 
in  this  direction.  Constant  and  purposeless  digressions,  in 
reading  no  less  than  in  talk,  are  just  as  injurious  as  interrup- 


54  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

tions.  The  mind  is  switched  from  one  subject  to  another, 
and  an  entire  sequence  of  reasoning  which  we  may  have  been 
building  up  by  the  study  of  some  days  is  destroyed  in  a  few 
moments  by  the  opening  up  of  an  unexplored  tract  of 
thought. 

For  many  years  there  was  a  learned  man  at  work  in  one  of 
our  ancient  abbey  libraries,  cataloguing  the  manuscripts 
and  monastic  charters  of  the  ancient  foundation.  Their  number 
runs  into  many  thousands,  and  at  the  outset  the  Keeper* 
reahsed  that  if  this  task  of  providing  an  index  and  precis  of  the 
entire  collection  (which  would  be  of  incalculable  value  to  the 
historical  students  who  came  after  him)  were  to  be  accom- 
plished in  his  lifetime,  it  would  be  necessary  to  adhere  rigidly 
to  his  plan.  Any  deviation,  however  slight,  would  mean  the 
loss  of  valuable  time.  To  the  historian  and  antiquary  such 
a  determination  must  have  cost  more  than  we  can  imagine ; 
for  every  now  and  again  he  came  across  some  charter  of  great 
historical  interest.     '  Ah,'  he  would  sigh,  reading  it  through, 

*  and  now  I  suppose  you  must  go  back  again  into  the 
obscurity  in  which  you  have  lain  for  eight  hundred  years.' 
He  quietly  made  his  precis,  indexed  the  document,  and 
replaced  it  in  the  oaken  press.  There,  thanks  to  his  labours, 
it  will  be  turned  to  at  some  future  date  to  add  laurels  to  the 

*  researches  '  of  another  man. 

Perhaps  the  most  innocuous  way  in  which  we  may  digress 
is  by  compiling  one  of  those  delectable  literary  hotch-potches 
known  as  '  commonplace  books.'  Here,  with  careful  selection, 
we  may  garner  those  delightful  thoughts,  those  gay  conceits  or 


*  Dr.  E.  J.  L.  Scott  of  Westminster  Abbey,  sometime  Egerton  Librarian  of 
the  British  Museum.  He  calendared  no  less  than  57,000  documents  at  the 
Abbey,  but  alas !  a  long  life  was  insufiScient  to  enable  him  to  complete  his 
task.  The  whole  working  portion  of  his  latter  years  was  spent  in  the  muni- 
ment room,  and  it  was  there  that  he  was  seized  with  the  illness  which  ended 
his  life  the  same  day  (1918).  The  work  which  he  accomplished  (now  being 
ably  continued,  on  the  lines  which  he  laid  down,  by  his  successor,  the  present 
Custodian  of  the  Abbey)  has  been  utilized  by  scholars  from  universities  all 
over  the  world.  However  busily  employed,  he  was  always  ready  instantly  to 
lay  aside  his  work  in  order  to  assist  a  student  over  some  difficult  point, 
whether  of  history  or  palaeography. 


The  Library  55 

pithy  stories,  that  strike  our  fancy  as  we  read.  And  though 
perhaps  it  may  be  urged  that  such  collections  resemble  a 
casket  of  loose  jewels  plucked  from  their  settings,  yet  they 
are  jewels  none  the  less.  We  may  store  all  our  collections 
within  one  cover,  or  we  may  preserve  separately  our  extracts 
from  the  poets,  our  biographies,  our  meditations,  or  our 
anecdotes. 

The  first  '  commonplacer  '  of  whom  I  have  seen  mention 
was  one  Photius,  a  colonel  in  the  Life  Guards  at 
Constantinople  during  the  ninth  century,  or — as  he  was  then 
called — Protospathcirius.  Later  he  became  ambassador  to 
the  court  of  Baghdad,  and  amused  himself  by  compiling  a 
volume  which  he  called  Myriobiblon,  a  collection  of  extracts 
of  the  authors  which  he  had  read.  He  was  a  man,  we  are 
told,  of  extraordinary  vigour  of  mind,  and  of  encyclopaedical 
knowledge,  and  he  was  so  devoted  to  reading  that  he  passed 
whole  nights  without  sleep.  Accordingly  we  are  not  surprised 
to  find  that  the  Myriobiblon,  with  its  Latin  translation,  forms 
a  folio  volume  of  some  1500  pages.  When  on  an  embassy  to 
Assyria,  he  carried  his  library — some  300  rolls — with  him, 
presumably  on  camels.  Thus,  we  suppose,  he  could  bestride 
his  dramatic  camel,  his  poetic  camel,  or  his  theological  camel 
as  the  mood  took  him.  The  Myriobiblon  was  compiled  merely 
as  a  handbook  for  his  brother  Tarasius,  that  the  latter  might 
enjoy  a  brief  synopsis  of  what  the  ambassador  read  on  his 
travels.  Several  authors  are  now  known  only  by  the  extracts 
in  this  book ;  and  among  them  may  be  mentioned  a  writer 
named  Conon,  who  is  said  to  have  written  fifty  novels,  which 
Photius  condensed  to  his  liking.  All  this,  of  course,  was 
merely  pour  passer  le  temps ;  the  really  important  works  of 
this  bookworm  being  a  lexicon  and  a  number  of  books  on 
theology.  Needless  to  say  in  due  course  he  became  Patriarch 
of  Constantinople. 

Who  nowadays  keeps  a  commonplace  book?  Doubtless  a 
good  many  readers  of  to-day  have  neither  time  nor  inclination 
to  indulge  this  pleasing  fashion,  at  one  time  so  popular ;   but 


66  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

to  anyone  whose  delight  is  the  reading  of  good  books  as 
opposed  to  modern  novels,  there  can  be  no  more  interesting 
amusement. 

It  can  be  a  risky  thing,  however,  this  commonplacing,  and 
he  would  be  a  bold  man  who  dared  to  assign  unto  any  one 
v^iter  a  popular  phrase  for  no  other  reason  than  that  this  one 
has  first  expressed  it  in  writing.  There  is  no  new  thing  under 
the  sun,  and  by  continued  expression  a  familiar  maxim 
becomes  at  last  a  proverb.  Ask  at  a  dinner-table  who  first 
wrote  '  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb.'  The 
knowing  ones  will  puzzle  their  brains  in  silence ;  some  lady 
with  religious  tendencies  will  claim  it  for  the  Holy  Writ, 
inclining  towards  Isaiah ;  but  the  quiet  bookish  man  at  the 
end  of  the  table  will  smile  in  a  superior  way,  and  ofFer  to  wager 
that  he  can  name  the  author.  You  may  safely  accept  his  bet, 
for  it  is  a  hundred  pounds  to  a  penny  that  he  will  proclaim 
Laurence  Sterne  to  have  written  it — he  may  even  quote  the 
context.  Granted  that  Sterne  did  write  it,  but  Sterne  was  a 
widely-read  man  and  a  plagiarist  of  no  mean  ability.  So  you 
may  ask  the  bookish  man  how  he  doth  account  for  this  saying 
occurring  in  that  quaint  collection  of  '  Outlandish  Proverbs ' 
entitled  *  Jacula  Prudentum,'  by  Master  George  Herbert, 
compiled  from  ancient  sources  full  a  hundred  years  before  the 
birth  of  the  '  Sentimental  Journey.'  * 

Sometimes  in  ancient  literature  one  comes  across  an 
expression  which  is  in  the  vocabulary  of  everybody  to-day, 
and  one  realises  how  very  ancient  some  of  these  popular 
aphorisms  must  be.  '  It  is  not  alle  golde  that  glareth,'  wrote 
Chaucer,  and  the  same  theme  was  sung  in  Provencal  by 
Amanieu  des  Escas  near  a  hundred  years  before.  But,  like 
'  A  bird  in  the  hand,'  it  is  so  applicable  to  the  failings  to 


•Edition  of  1651,  i2mo,  page  52.  'To  a  close  shorne  sheep,  God  gives 
wind  by  measure.'  First  printed  in  Witts  Recreations,  1640.  Sterne  might 
have  reflected  that  it  is  not  usually  the  custom  to  shear  lambs. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  a  correspondent  has  brought  to  the  writer's 
notice  a  sixteenth  century  French  version: — Au  bribis  tondue,  dieu  donne  le 
vent  par  inesure. 


The  Library  57 

which  mankind  is  prone,  that  its  origin  must  surely  have  been 
far  beyond  even  the  classics  of  the  old  world,  back  in  the  dim 
ages  of  man's  history.  Common  also  to  all  nations  must  some 
at  least  of  these  primitive  sayings  be,  for  there  is  a  primaeval 
simplicity  about  them  that  knows  nothing  of  race  or 
civilisation.  *  A  soft  answer  turns  away  wrath,*  *  Pride  goes 
before  a  fall,'  '  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child,'  are  not  all 
these  and  many  others,  collected  by  King  Solomon  from  the 
wisdom  of  the  East,  as  applicable  to  our  everyday  life  in  this 
age  as  they  have  ever  been  in  the  whole  history  of  mankind  ?  * 
Enough  of  moralising,  however ;  or  else,  convinced  of  the 
futility  of  attempting  to  assign  originality  to  any  man,  you 
will  come  to  agree  with  the  young  lady  of  fifteen  who,  priding 
herself  on  the  possession  of  a  literary  -flair,  once  remarked 
to  the  writer :  '  In  fact  there  is  little  doubt  that  Junius  never 
wrote  the  letters  attributed  to  him  at  all !  ' 


*  It  is  curious  to  note  how  some  of  these  famous  sayings  have  been  wrongly 
assigned.  A  recently  published  Dictionary  of  Quotations,  assigns  Scipio's 
famous  dictum,  '  A  man  is  never  less  alone  than  when  he  is  alone,'  to  Swift — 
a  slight  error  of  some  nineteen  centuries.  W.  C.  Hazlitt  in  his  Book-Collector 
makes  an  even  more  delightful  howler,  tracing  the  well-known  verse  in 
Ecclesiastes  (xii.  12)  :  '  Of  making  many  books  there  is  no  end  .  .  .  '  etc., 
'back  at  least  to  the  reign  of  Elizabeth'  {sic),  assigning  it  to  a  preacher  at 
Paul's  Cross  in  1594. 


CHAPTER     III 

BOOKS  WHICH  FORM  THE  LIBRARY. 

He  that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise.' — 

Proverbs  xiii.  20. 

T  is  one  of  the  tragedies  of  the  book-collector's 
life  that  he  is  made  aware  continually  of  the 
deficiencies  of  his  collection.  Every  book- 
seller's catalogue  that  he  takes  up  reveals 
these  lacunas  ;  and  even  after  many  years 
of  diligent  book-hunting,  when  he  can  look 
upon  his  library  with  no  small  pride  and  has  come  to  regard 
it  as  being  more  or  less  complete  (for  his  own  purposes,  that 
is),  some  intimate  friend  to  whom  he  is  displaying  his  treasures 
will  ask  to  see  some  well-known  book,  and  he  will  be  obliged 
to  confess  that  he  does  not  possess  a  copy.  The  reason 
probably  is  either  that  he  has  collected  books  upon  no 
definite  system,  or  that  he  has  lost  sight  of  the  many  works 
which  his  library  should  contain,  through  having  confined 
himself  too  rigidly  to  specialism. 

Both  practices  are  bad,  though  the  former  is  infinitely  the 
worse.  To  collect  books  indiscriminately  tends  to  develop 
the  dread  bibliomania.  To  specialise  in  a  particular  class  of 
books  should  be  the  object  of  every  collector ;  but  to  adhere 
so  rigidly  to  that  one  class  of  literature  as  to  exclude  from 
our  library  the  great  books  of  the  world,  is  to  deprive  ourselves 


Books  which  form  the  Library  59 

of  all  the  advantages  which  a  library  can  offer.  '  There  are 
some  books,  as  Homer,  Virgil,  Horace,  Milton,  Shakespeare, 
and  Scott,  which  every  man  should  read  who  has  the  oppor- 
tunity ;  should  read,  mark,  learn  and  inwardly  digest.  To 
neglect  the  opportunity  of  becoming  familiar  with  them,  is 
deliberately  to  sacrifice  the  position  in  the  social  scale  which 
an  ordinary  education  enables  its  possessor  to  reach.'*  What 
a  number  of  famous  names  one  can  add,  without  which  no 
library  worthy  the  name  can  be  complete!  We  are  not  all 
such  sages  as  that  great  man  Philip  Melanchthon,  whose 
library  is  said  to  have  consisted  of  four  authors  only,  namely, 
Plato,  Pliny,  Plutarch,  and  Ptolemy  the  geographer.  But 
then,  these  are  whole  libraries  in  themselves. 

Who,  beside  ourselves,  shall  decide  what  we  shall  read? 
'  A  man's  reading,  to  be  of  any  value,'  wrote  Professor  Blackie, 
'  must  depend  upon  his  power  of  association  ;  and  that  again 
depends  upon  his  tendencies,  his  capacities,  his  surroundings, 
and  his  opportunities.'  But  there  are  some  authors  whom  the 
world  has  decided  are  great,  whom  we  cannot  possibly  afford 
to  neglect  in  the  course  of  our  literary  education.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  as  to  our  decision  here  ;  and  although  it  has  been 
said  truly  that  '  a  lifetime  will  hardly  suffice  to  know,  as  they 
ought  to  be  known,  these  great  masterpieces  of  man's 
genius,'!  yet  these  great  classics  should  form  the  nucleus  of 
our  library,  and  to  them  we  may  add  the  other  famous  and 
approved  books  of  the  world  as  opportunities  occur. 

It  is  not  without  diffidence  that  I  venture  to  approach 
this  important  question  as  to  what  we  should  read.  Perhaps 
there  is  nothing  more  irritating  to  the  real  book-lover  than 
to  be  told,  usually  by  some  well-meaning  person,  that  he  or 
she  should  read  this  or  that.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the 
book  or  author  recommended  is  one  that  we  can  safely  afford 
to  neglect.  It  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  human  failings  to 
imagine  that  a  book  which  pleases  us  must  necessarily  please 

*  J.   H.   Burton.  t  Mr.  Frederic  Harrison. 


60  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

all  others  too,  and  we  recommend  it  blindly  to  the  first  friend 
we  come  across,  regardless  of  age,  disposition,  intellectual 
capacity,  opportunity,  surroundings,  or  even  sex.  It  never 
even  occurs  to  us  to  consider  these  matters,  these  vital  qualities 
upon  which  the  whole  question  of  like  or  dislike  depends. 

'  To  every  thing  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time  to  every 
purpose  under  heaven  '  ;  and  again,  '  A  wise  man's  heart 
discerneth  both  time  and  judgment,'  wrote  the  Preacher  of 
Judah.  Yet  mindful  though  we  be  of  these  ancient  words  of 
wisdom,  how  rarely  do  we  apply  them  to  our  everyday 
reading!  If  we  be  in  the  mood  for  reading  we  pick  up  any 
book  at  random ;  if  it  please  us  at  the  moment,  we  continue 
to  read  it.  If  it  be  distasteful  to  us,  we  put  it  aside 
immediately.  Possibly  we  recollect,  next  time  that  our  eyes 
light  upon  a  volume  so  discarded,  that  it  was  once  displeasing, 
and  we  never  take  it  up  again.  So,  it  may  be  urged,  our  mind 
exercises  the  power  of  selection  for  us :  we  can  only  absorb  at 
any  given  time  the  class  of  Hterary  food  for  which  our  mind 
then  happens  to  be  hungry. 

But  the  truth  is  far  otherwise.  If  we  take  up  and  read  a 
book  at  random,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  we  continue  to  read 
it  simply  because  it  entails  no  mental  effort.  We  do  not  have 
to  think  of  what  we  are  reading ;  our  eyes  gallop  over 
sentence  after  sentence,  and  so  long  as  the  language  is 
colloquial  and  the  facts  are  bald,  all  is  well,  and  we  can  go 
on  and  on.  It  is  not  only  the  body  that,  unchecked,  is 
inchned  to  be  slothful.  Unless  we  have  as  complete  a  control 
over  our  minds  as  we  have  over  our  limbs,  it  is  quite  impossible 
that  our  reading  shall  benefit  us  to  its  full  extent. 

There  is  another  point  of  view  also.  '  Every  book  that  we 
take  up  without  a  purpose  is  an  opportunity  lost  of  taking 
up  a  book  with  a  purpose.'*  And  this  does  not  mean  that 
we  should  always  be  reading  *  improving '  books,  that  we 
must  never  read  for  recreation  alone ;    for,  I  repeat,  *  there 

*  Mr.  Frederic  Harrison. 


Books  which  form  the  Library  61 

is  a  time  to  every  purpose  under  heaven.'  But  it  does  insist 
most  emphatically  that  there  should  be  a  rhyme  and  a  reason 
for  reading  any  book  at  any  time.  There  is  a  time  for  work 
and  a  time  for  play  in  reading  no  less  than  in  the  daily  cycle 
of  our  lives.  As  to  what  shall  constitute  recreative  reading, 
that  is  a  matter  which  every  man  must  decide  for  himself.  I 
will  venture  to  prophesy,  however,  that,  by  judicious  selection 
and  thoughtful  reading,  there  will  come  a  time  when  he  will 
consider  the  reading  of  the  great  books  to  constitute  the  finest 
mental  recreation  in  the  world. 

To  return,  however,  to  the  great  writers,  those  giants  of 
whom  we  have  said  that  it  behoves  us  all  to  know  something 
at  least.  Must  we  read  them  all  ?  Let  us  leave  '  must '  out 
of  the  question  ;  for  our  lifetime,  however  long  it  may  be,  will 
be  scarcely  sufficient  to  know  and  appreciate  to  the  full  these 
great  masters  of  human  thought.  Yet  at  least  it  can  be  our 
aim  ever  to  feed  our  minds  only  upon  food  of  the  finest 
quality  and  of  a  permanent  nutritive  value.  But  alas !  How 
terribly  limited  are  our  capacities  both  as  regards  time  and 
opportunity!  How  narrow  the  bounds  which  confine  our 
reading  abilities!  Though  a  list  of  the  great  writers  contain 
all  the  constituents  of  an  Epicurean  feast,  yet  to  most  of  us 
it  resembles  the  menu  of  a  Gargantuan  banquet. 

As  to  the  classics  of  the  old  world,  surely,  it  may  be  urged, 
in  such  an  essentially  practical  age  we  can  afford  to  neglect 
books  so  hopelessly  out  of  date  ?  Yet  there  can  be  no  greater 
mistake  than  to  imagine  that  the  wisdom  of  the  old  world 
can  ever  be  out  of  date,  for  it  is  the  wisdom  that  has  created 
the  civilisation  of  the  newer  world.  Countless  generations  of 
men  may  pass  away  and  be  utterly  forgotten,  but  the  principles 
of  morality  inherent  in  man's  nature  will  endure  for  ever. 
And  it  is  these  great  principles  of  all  that  is  good  and  noble 
in  our  nature  that  is  brought  out  and  developed  insensibly  by 
the  study  of  the  classics  in  our  youth.  Moreover  they  are 
books  that  have  been  accepted  by  all  the  nations  of  Europe 
as  containing  the  bases  of  human  thought.       Something  at 


62  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

least  we  should  all  know  of  these  great  writers  common  to  all 
civiHsed  nations. 

To  most  of  us,  however,  there  is  an  insurmountable  barrier 
surrounding  them,  the  matter  of  language.  The  knowledge 
of  Greek  and  Latin  that  we  acquired  at  school  has  become 
painfully  rusty.  Is  it  worth  while  slogging  away  laboriously 
with  grammar  and  dictionary  at  the  expense  of  valuable  time 
which  might  otherwise  be  devoted  to  the  more  modern  classics 
in  our  own  tongue  ?  Candidly,  it  is  not.  If  we  have  retained 
sufficient  of  our  Greek  and  Latin  to  read  it  at  sight  with  but 
an  occasional  reference  to  the  dictionary  well  and  good  ;  but 
otherwise  it  is  a  painful  waste  of  time.  Hamerton  recom- 
mends that  we  read  the  ancients  with  the  help  of  literal 
translations  beside  the  original,  in  which  way,  he  says,  we 
'  may  attain  a  closer  acquaintance  with  ancient  literature 
than  would  be  possible  by  translation  alone.'  But  to  many, 
an  English  version  must  be  the  only  door  by  which  they  may 
enter  Attica  and  Rome. 

After  all,  it  is  for  each  one  of  us  to  decide  how  widely  our 
time  and  opportunities  shall  permit  us  to  wander  on  the 
slopes  of  Mount  Parnassus.  '  The  best  time-savers  are  the 
love  of  soundness  in  all  we  learn  to  do,  and  a  cheerful 
acceptance  of  inevitable  limitations.'*  Yet  it  is  better  to  have 
wandered  on  the  lowermost  slopes  of  the  mountain  than  never 
to  have  entered  ancient  Greece  at  all. 

Who  nowadays,  outside  the  universities,  reads  these  ancient 
classics  ?  Where  will  you  find  a  business  man  of  thirty  years 
of  age  whose  delight  in  his  leisure  time  is  the  reading  of 
Horace  or  Homer?  Here  and  there,  perhaps,  you  may  come 
across  a  man  of  classical  education  who  still  retains  the  love 
of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome,  instilled  into  him  in  his  youth, 
sufficiently  to  influence  the  course  of  his  reading ;  but  he  is  a 
rarity  indeed.  Among  the  many  thousands  of  young  men 
employed  in  business  in  the  great  cities,  most  of  whom  have 

*  P.  G.  Hamerton. 


Books  tvhich  form  the  Library  63 

learnt  something  at  least  of  the  classics  in  their  youth,  scarcely 
will  you  find  one  who  will  confess  to  having  time  for  such 
literature.  Yet  all  these  thousands  read  many  books  each 
year,  and  can  always  find  time  to  devour  the  latest  popular 
novel. 

It  is  chiefly  a  question  of  recreation  versus  education.  Tired 
and  jaded  with  the  day's  business,  the  young  man  of  to-day 
has  little  inclination  to  devote  his  leisure  time  to  study.  Light 
frothy  literature  removes  his  thoughts  from  worldly  cares,  and 
by  a  complete  change  of  subject  stimulates  a  mind  that  has 
been  enervated  by  concentration  for  hours  on  one  particular 
theme.  No  effort  is  required,  and,  more  important  still, 
?V  does  not  make  one  think. 

For  daily  reading  in  the  train  or  over  meals,  with  this 
purpose  always  in  view,  so  far  so  good.  But  what  of  the  many 
hours  of  leisure  in  every  man's  life,  when  no  mental  recreation 
is  needed  ?  What  does  the  average  man  read  then  ?  It  must 
be  confessed  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  his  literature  remains 
precisely  the  same.  Doubtless  the  reason  is  simply  because, 
having  always  been  accustomed  to  reading  the  same  kind 
of  books,  he  knows  no  other  sort.  Mention  Shakespeare, 
Milton,  Shelley,  and  he  stares  at  you  aghast.  *  Good  gracious,' 
he  exclaims,  'I'm  not  going  to  read  stuff  like  that ;  I  should 
get  the  hump  for  a  week  ;  give  me  something  cheerful.'  And 
he  picks  up  *  The  Bauble,*  by  Mrs.  Risquet  Trashe. 

And  he  is  quite  right.  To  anyone  whose  literature  has 
consisted  for  years  of  nothing  but  novels  of  the  circulating 
library  type,  a  sudden  application  to  the  great  writers  would 
indeed  be  depressing.  Is  it  necessary,  however,  or  indeed 
wise,  that  any  man's  mental  pabulum  should  consist  entirely 
of  novels?  Nothing  is  further  from  my  mind  than  to  decry 
the  taste  for  novel-reading ;  for,  wisely  employed,  novels  can 
become  one  of  the  joys  of  life.  One  can  but  agree  with 
Miss  Austen  when  she  inveighs,  in  '  Northanger  Abbey,' 
against  those  who  belittle  the  productions  of  the  novelist. 
But  would  she  have  been  so  emphatic  had  she  lived  to  witness 


^64  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  printing-presses  spouting  forth  that  frothy  flood  which 
effervesces  round  the  more  serious  writings  of  to-day  ?  Would 
that  every  novel  we  take  up  had  the  dehghtful  '  genius,  wit, 
and  taste '  of  Jane  Austen  to  recommend  it.  How  few  and 
far  between  are  the  really  good  novels  that  we  read ! 

There  can  be  no  finer  recreation  for  a  tired  mind  than  a 
good  novel.  There  is,  however,  one  habit  of  reading  which 
has  become  almost  a  social  evil ;  and  that  is  the  habit  of 
reading  newspapers  which  many  indulge  in,  morning,  noon, 
•and  night.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  anything  more  calculated 
to  destroy  consecutive  and  considered  thought  than  the 
enormous  variety  of  inconsequential  topics  that  assails  one 
every  time  one  opens  a  newspaper.  The  mind  becomes 
completely  fuddled  with  the  heterogeneous  patchwork  of 
•entirely  useless  information.  The  only  method  I  have 
discovered  by  which  one  can  acquire  the  important  news  and 
yet  retain  the  serenity  of  one's  mind  is  that  of  having  such 
news  only  as  she  knows  will  be  of  use  read  out  by  one's  wife 
at  breakfast.  And  this  does  not  mean  that  the  mental 
discomforts  of  the  newspaper  are  relegated  to  one's  better- 
half,  for  women  are  usually  interested  in  the  smaller  details 
of  everyday  life. 

No  wonder  that  a  large  number  of  '  city  men  '  live  out  their 
lives  without  ever  opening  a  book  that  is  worth  reading 
meditatively ;  for  newspaper-reading  in  course  of  time  must 
completely  undermine  one's  mental  stability.  After  a  few 
years,  a  book  that  is  not  composed  of  headlines,  short  chapters, 
small  paragraphs  and  ejaculatory  sentences,  is  unreadable 
without  mental  effort.  So  that  long  before  he  is  middle-aged 
the  city  man  has  acquired  the  habit  of  *  glancing  at '  a  news- 
sheet  or  magazine  whenever  he  has  nothing  to  do  for  a  few 
minutes :  a  kind  of  reading  that  is  about  as  advantageous  to 
the  mind  as  that  which  we  indulge  in  when  fingering  the 
antique  periodicals  in  the  dentist's  waiting-room.  In  later 
years  he  may  or  he  may  not  overcome  the  repugnance  he  has 
acquired  to  anything  deep  or  *  solid  '  (by  which  he  generally 


Books  which  form  the  Library  65- 

means  '  unparagraphed ') :  but  I  venture  to  think  that, 
having  once  taken  the  plunge,  there  must  be  moments  when 
he  marvels  at  his  foolishness  in  not  having  entered,  years 
before,  the  City  of  the  golden  streets. 

Perhaps  it  is  unwise  to  use  the  word  *  education  '  in 
speaking  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  reading  the  great 
books,  for  to  many  people  the  term  is  synonymous  with. 
*  school,'  where  one  is  obliged  frequently  to  do  things  against 
one's  will.  Good  books,  that  is  the  books  that  '  live,'  are 
no  mere  education,  they  axe  steps  up  the  path  of  civilisation 
itself.  They  are  just  as  necessary  for  the  advancement  of 
knowledge  as  are  the  letters  and  numerals  which  we  learnt 
at  school.  The  greatest  books  of  the  world  do  not  teach  us ; 
they  help  us  to  teach  ourselves,  a  very  different  matter.  '  They 
are  masters  who  instruct  us  without  rod  or  ferule,'  wrote  an 
early  book-lover*  ;  '  if  you  approach  them  they  are  not  asleep  ; 
if  you  inquire  of  them  they  do  not  withdraw  themselves  ;  they 
never  chide  when  you  make  mistakes ;  they  never  laugh 
if  you  are  ignorant'  And  the  books  which  would  be  available 
to  him  would  be  chiefly  the  works  of  the  Early  Fathers, 
professedly  books  of  moral  instruction.  But  the  books  of  our 
library  '  are  so  many  faithful  and  serviceable  friends,  gently 
teaching  us  everything  through  their  persuasive  and  wise 
experience.'! 

And  that  is  precisely  the  point.  Good  books  do  not  instruct 
us  so  much  as  they  persuade  us  ;  so  that  we  come  to  be  of  the 
same  mind  as  the  great  man  who  had  deliberated  and  debated 
the  matter  so  thoroughly  for  us.  Perchance  we  disagree  and 
take  a  different  standpoint.  Then  can  one  almost  see  the 
spirit  of  the  sage  chuckling  with  delight  at  having  found 
someone  with  whom  to  cross  swords.  '  /  have  made  him 
think,  I  have  made  him  think, ^  he  repeats  gleefully ;  and, 
sure  of  his  point,  he  delights  in  having  held  our  attention  so- 
intently  as  to  cause  us  to  debate  the  issue  with  ourselves. 

*  Richard  of  Bury  (lived  1281-1345). 
+  M.  Octave  Uzanne. 


66  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

It  were  foolish,  however,  to  suppose  that  all  the  great  books 
of  the  world  are  at  once  suitable  to  every  reader.  Time,  above 
all  other  considerations,  decides  what  we  shall  read ;  and  the 
book  which  makes  its  greatest  impression  upon  one  man  at 
thirty  will  fail  to  appeal  to  his  neighbour  till  he  be  fifty  or 
more.  '  A  man  loves  the  meat  in  his  youth  that  he  cannot 
endure  in  his  age,'  says  Benedick,  and  the  converse  is  equally 
true.  What  a  mistaken  notion  it  is  that  puts  into  the  hands 
of  boys  such  classics  as  '  The  Pilgrim's  Progress'  and  *  Don 
Quixote  '  ;  for  they  are  books  which  a  knowledge  of  the 
world  and  of  human  nature  alone  can  enable  us  to  appreciate 
to  the  full.  Their  very  foundations  are  built  upon  the  rock 
of  experience,  every  page  exhibits  the  thoughts  and  deeds  of 
men.  No  wonder  that  nine  boys  out  of  ten  grow  up  with  a 
dislike  of  Bunyan  and  all  his  works,  and  a  contempt  for  the 
adventures  of  the  immortal  Don.  Generally,  however,  all 
recollection  of  Quixote,  except  that  he  had  a  rotten  old  horse 
and  charged  some  windmills,  has  (mercifully)  disappeared 
long  before  the  reader  has  attained  his  eighteenth  year. 

In  later  life,  perhaps,  we  take  up  these  books  again,  and  are 
surprised  to  find  that  they  have  completely  changed.  There 
is  hardly  an  incident  in  them  that  we  remember,  and  we 
marvel  how  such  and  such  a  glorious  passage  could  possibly 
have  escaped  us  before.  Our  book-hunter's  experience  must 
have  been  that  of  many  others.  Long  after  his  school-days 
were  ended  he  took  up,  for  the  first  time,  '  The  Adventures  of 
Tom  Sawyer.'  How  wistfully  he  thought  of  the  enjoyment 
that  would  have  been  his  when  at  school,  had  but  some  kind 
chance  put  into  his  hands  this  and  similar  books  in  which 
boys,  and  real  human  boys,  played  the  principal  parts,  not 
strange  outlandish  men,  the  like  of  whom  he  had  never  met. 

This  unwise  reading,  this  plunging,  as  it  were,  in  medias  res, 
is,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  the  reason  why  to  so  many  men  the 
library  of  great  authors  is  for  ever  locked.  After  a  lengthy 
course  of  '  light '  reading,  they  take  up,  all  at  once,  some  such 
work  as  '  Bacon's  Essays  '  or  the  '  Paradise  Lost,'  determined 


Books  which  form  the  Library  67 

*  to  give  the  classics  a  chance.'  They  wade  conscientiously 
through  a  good  many  pages,  and  then  retire  beaten,  simply 
because  they  have  failed  to  recognise  that  in  reading,  as  in 
every  other  business,  profession,  craft,  or  pursuit,  PRACTICE 
MAKES  PERFECT.  Who  is  there,  outside  Olympus,  that  can 
master  any  of  these  at  sight  ?  It  is  only  by  a  continuous  and 
continual  course  of  reading  that  one  comes  at  length  to 
appreciate  these  great  masters.  '  The  proper  appreciation  of 
the  great  books  of  the  world  is  the  reward  of  lifelong  study. 
You  must  work  up  to  them,  and  unconsciously  you  will 
become  trained  to  find  great  qualities  in  what  the  world  has 
decided  is  great.'* 

*  That's  all  very  well,'  says  the  newspaper-reader,  taking 
the  word  '  study  '  in  its  first  dictionary  sense  ;  '  but  I,  for  one, 
haven't  got  time — or  inclination — for  this  lifelong  application.' 
And  yet,  I  reply,  you  have  both  time  and  inclination  to  apply 
yourself  assiduously  to  newspapers,  magazines,  and  suchlike 
reading.  If  you  read  at  all,  why  not  read  good  healthy  stuff, 
which  will  be  of  permanent  use  to  you  in  your  journey  through 
the  world?  Why  devour  garbage  when  rich  meats  are 
constantly  about  you  ?  *  To  stuff  our  minds  with  what  is 
simply  trivial,  simply  curious,  or  that  which  at  best  has  but  a 
low  nutritive  power,  this  is  to  close  our  minds  to  what  is  solid 
and  enlarging  and  spiritually  sustaining.!  Look  at  it  which 
way  you  will,  the  man  who  purposely  neglects  the  great  books 
deliberately  closes  the  channels  of  knowledge  flowing  to  his 
brain,  sentences  himself  to  intellectual  exile,  bolts  and  bars 
in  his  own  face  the  only  door  which  can  lead  him  into  the 
society  of  the  wisest  and  greatest  men  this  world  has  known. 

And  what  are  the  great  books  of  the  world?  They  are 
those  which,  from  their  native  excellences,  have  been  approved 
by  generations  of  wise  men  as  beneficial  for  mankind — not 
for  their  generation  alone.  Times  change  and  manners  with 
them,   but   countless   centuries   are   powerless   to    effect   the 

*  Mr.  A.  L.  Humphreys.  t  Mr.  Frederic  Harrison. 


68  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

slightest  change  in  man's  essence.  Do  not  the  characters 
in  the  oldest  book  in  the  world  still  live  in  our  everyday  life, 
and  are  not  they  possessed  of  the  very  thoughts  and  reasonings 
that  are  our  portion  to-day?  Tastes  may  change  vastly  in 
even  a  short  period,  but  it  is  only  fashion,  the  constant  craving 
for  something  new  :  — 

'  Manners  with  fortunes,  humours  turn  with  climes, 
Tenets  with  books,  and  principles  with  times.' 

But  the  books  which  by  common  consent  have  been  assigned 
places  in  the  library  of  the  immortals  can  never  be  out  of 
fashion :  for  they  contain  the  essences  of  human  nature. 

How  then  shall  we  start  to  make  acquaintance  with  these 
classics?  With  what  books  shall  we  begin,  with  what 
continue?  These  are  questions  which  it  is  impossible  to 
answer  without  a  knowledge  of  those  qualities  so  necessary 
in  recommending  books.  But  at  least  it  is  possible  to  indicate 
the  general  line  to  be  followed.  It  would  be  foolish,  for 
example,  for  the  man  whose  reading  hitherto  has  consisted 
entirely  of  the  modern  novels  of  a  circulating  library,  to  turn 
at  once  to  the  Paradise  Lost,  Bacon's  Essays,  or  the  poems 
of  Wordsworth.  He  would  probably  acquire  a  distaste  for 
good  literature  which  might  never  be  overcome. 

It  is  like  everything  else  that  counts:  we  set  the  greatest 
store  by  those  things  that  we  have  come  by  through  difficulties. 
The  longer  the  journey  and  the  more  beautiful  the  scenes  we 
pass  through,  the  greater  our  pleasure  and  subsequent  recollec- 
tion of  it.  Let  us  begin  our  systematic  reading  by  turning 
at  first  to  those  books  which  we  shall  appreciate  immediately. 
Have  novels  been  our  reading  hitherto  ?  Then  let  us  turn  at 
once  to  some  of  the  greater  novelists,  both  living  and  dead. 
Here  the  field  is  wide,  and  we  may  quickly  find  writers  to  our 
taste.  Thus  we  shall  gradually  work  up  to  some  name  or 
names  in  the  list  of  the  immortals.  In  the  same  way  we  shall 
approach,  step  by  step,  the  essayists,  the  moralists,  the 
dramatists  and  (lastly)  the  poets. 

It  cannot  be  emphasised  too  strongly  that  Time  above  all 


Books  which  form  the  Library  69 

other  considerations  decides  what  we  shall  read.  Moreover, 
there  are  passages  in  many  of  the  greatest  writers  that  appeal 
to  a  man  before  he  has  really  arrived  at  the  time  of  their 
understanding.  So  that,  reading  some  such  passage  (e.g. 
Addison's  description  of  the  Widows'  Club  in  the 
'  Spectator  ')  as  this,  and  finding  the  remainder  not  to  his 
taste,  he  concludes  that  he  has  discovered  the  kernel  and  that 
the  rest  can  be  cast  aside.  Practice  alone  makes  perfect : 
macte  nova  virtute,  puer,  sic  itur  ad  astra. 

With  regard  to  editions,  it  were  needless  to  specify  them ; 
the  great  books  of  the  world  are  reprinted  and  re-edited  every 
few  years.  But  our  editions  should  be  good  ones.  *  A  good 
edition  should  be  a  complete  edition,  ungarbled  and 
unabridged.'*  Perchance  you  may  prefer  to  have  them,  if 
it  be  possible,  in  the  original  editions?  If  so,  you  will  be 
wise  in  your  generation,  but  your  purse  will  need  to  be  a  long 
one  indeed. 

Remember  that  the  first  edition  is  not  necessarily  the  best, 
It  may  be,  but  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  it  is  not.  In 
addition  to  the  inevitable  clerical  mistakes  and  printer's  errors 
which  are  almost  always  corrected  in  the  second  and 
subsequent  editions,  the  author  or  editor  frequently 
interpolates  matter  which  the  publication  de  ipso  has  brought 
to  his  notice  by  reviews  or  correspondence.  This  is  notably 
the  case  in  large  and  important  works.  '  Scott's  Last 
Expedition,'  published  in  two  large  octavo  volumes  in  1914, 
rapidly  passed  through  five  editions  the  same  year,  corrections 
being  incorporated  in  each  successive  edition  (thereby 
distinguishing  them  from  mere  '  impressions  ') ;  so  that  the 
fifth  edition  remains  the  best,  being  the  most  correct.  On 
the  other  hand,  in  the  second  edition  an  author  sometimes 
omits  passages  or  makes  drastic  emendations  from  prudential 
reasons.  Then  it  is  that  the  first  edition  is  to  be  sought  for 
in  preference  to  all  others,  for  this  alone  contains  the  author's 

•  Mr.  A.  L.  Humphreys. 


70  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

true  opinions  on  certain  subjects.  Such  instances  the  book- 
lover  gradually  learns  in  his  journey  through  the  world  of 
books. 

But  I  repeat  that,  apart  from  this  question  of  first  or  later 
issue,  our  editions  should  be  good  ones.  Good  editions  are 
not  merely  luxuries.  The  better  the  type  and  paper,  the 
greater  our  ease  in  reading,  and — ^most  important  of  all — the 
consequent  safeguarding  of  our  eyesight. 

It  is  not  only  type  and  paper,  however,  that  constitute  a 
good  edition.  In  addition  to  these  requisites  it  must  contain 
the  recognised  text  complete,  it  must  be  in  a  seemly  and 
convenient  shape,  neither  extravagant  nor  blatant,  and  it 
must  not  contain  a  long  list  of  errata.  Of  the  many  qualities 
that  go  to  make  up  a  good  edition,  after  paper  and  print, 
these  are  perhaps  the  most  important.  But  there  is  another 
immediate  consideration :  shall  it  have  notes  ?  And  this 
raises  such  a  momentous  point  that  I  almost  hesitate  to 
approach  it.  The  answer  must  be  qualified.  Provided  always 
that  the  edition  has  been  superintended  (I  use  the  word 
advisedly)  by  a  recognised  scholar,  and  that  the  notes  are 
few,  short,  and  concise,  it  is  well.  But  who  has  not  suffered 
under  the  tedious  and  tiresome  verbosity  of  editors?  The 
writer  possesses  an  edition  of  Pope  in  which  page  after  page 
contains  two  lines  of  the  poet  and  thirty-four  hnes  of  editor. 
Reed's  Shakespeare  (1813)  frequently  contains  a  solitary  line 
of  text  with  forty  of  notes.  Fortunately,  however,  such  things 
are  now  numbered  with  the  past. 

As  to  our  editions  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  Classics,  whether 
we  can  read  them  in  the  original  tongue  or  whether  we  must 
have  recourse  to  translations,  we  have  already  debated.  But 
without  wishing  to  discourage  the  book-lover  in  any  possible 
way  from  making  (or  renewing,  as  the  case  may  be) 
acquaintance  with  these  great  writers,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  few  indeed  are  the  translations  from  any  language 
that  are  wholly  in  the  spirit  of  the  original.  In  recommending 
the  following  translations  of  some  of  the  greater  world-classics. 


Books  which  form  the  Library  71 

literar)'  and  animate  qualities  have  been  had  in  view  no  less 
than  scholarly  translation. 

Aeschylus  and  Sophocles  have  been  admirably  rendered  in 
English  verse  by  Mr.  E.  D.  A.  Morshead.  Of  the  first,  '  The 
House  of  Atreus  '  (being  the  '  Agamemnon,'  *  Libation- 
Bearers,'  and  *  Furies  ')  was  first  published  by  him  in  1881, 
an  octavo  volume  which  was  reprinted  in  1890  and  1901. 
'  The  Suppliant  Maidens,'  '  The  Persians,'  '  The  Seven 
against  Thebes,'  and  '  Prometheus  Bound '  were  collected 
in  one  octavo  volume  in  1908.  His  version  of  Sophocles' 
'  Oedipus  the  King  '  was  published  in  1885,  while  the  '  Ajax  ' 
and  '  Electra  '  were  printed  in  prose,  1895. 

The  Plays  of  Aristophanes  are,  perhaps,  best  known  to 
English  readers  by  Hookham  Frere's  excellent  translations. 
His  first  volume,  containing  the  '  Acharnians,'  the  '  Knights,' 
and  the  *  Birds,'  was  originally  printed  at  Malta  in  1839,  in 
which  year  a  similar  quarto  volume  containing  the  '  Frogs  ' 
was  also  issued.  But  there  are  several  later  editions  of  both 
these  volumes,  and  almost  any  bookseller  can  provide  one.  In 
addition  to  these  plays,  the  '  Clouds  '  and  the  '  Wasps  '  were 
included  in  Thomas  Mitchell's  version  first  published  in  two 
octavo  volumes  dated  1820  and  1822.  But  we  may  have  a 
complete  set  of  the  eleven  plays  which  have  come  down  to  us, 
in  Mr.  B.  B.  Rogers'  scholarly  translation  in  verse.  This 
beautiful  edition  in  eleven  small  quarto  volimies  was  published 
by  Messrs.  George  Bell  and  Sons  between  1902  and  1916, 
and  has  the  Greek  and  English  on  opposite  pages.  For  the 
plays  of  Euripides  we  must  turn  to  the  metrical  versions  of 
Professor  Gilbert  Murray,  published  by  Mr.  George  Allen 
between  1905  and  1915.  Perhaps  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  this  great  scholar-poet  has  done  more  than  any  other  to 
bring  the  Greeks  of  old  before  those  to  whom  a  classical 
education  has  been  denied. 

Needless  to  say,  the  translation  into  English  of  the 
immortal  Homeric  cycle  has  tempted  many  pens.  Among 
the  best  known  versions  are  those  of  Pope,  Chapman,  and 


72  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Cowper.  But  this  matter  has  been  so  thoroughly  debated 
by  Mr.  Frederic  Harrison  in  his  delightful  volume  *  The 
Choice  of  Books,'  that  I  will  refrain  from  poaching  upon  his 
preserve,  and  will  content  myself  by  remarking  that  the 
recommendations  of  this  excellent  judge  are  the  *  Iliad  '  of 
Lord  Derby  and  the  '  Odyssey  '  of  Philip  Worsley.  This 
last  is  a  beautiful  translation  in  the  Spenserian  stanza,  of 
which  a  second  edition  appeared  in  1868,  in  two  octavo 
volumes..  But  if  you  are  not  already  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Harrison's  work  you  will  do  well  to  obtain  it,  and  to  read, 
mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest  all  that  he  has  to  say  therein 
upon  '  The  Poets  of  the  Old  World.' 

With  regard  to  the  Latin  classics,  if  we  are  unacquainted 
with  the  language  there  is  greater  difficulty ;  for  it  is  next  to 
impossible  to  render  in  English  the  light  and  vivacious  lilt 
of  the  Italian  poets.  Our  translations  may  be  fine,  scholarly, 
dignified  and  the  rest  of  it,  but  they  bear  little  semblance  to 
the  originals.  Dryden's  version  of  the  '  Aeneid '  may  be 
read,  not  as  a  translation  but  as  an  epic  in  the  English  of  a 
great  poet ;  and  to  those  who  are  masters  of  sufficient  Latin 
to  explore  the  ancients  by  the  help  of  commentaries, 
Conington's  translation  will  be  of  assistance.  Horace  is 
utterly  untranslatable,  and  prose  translations  afford  little  clue 
to  the  music  of  his  songs. 

Perhaps  it  goes  without  saying  that  in  reading  these  ancient 
classics  we  shall  necessarily  lose  much  of  their  sentiment  and 
allusion  unless  our  memory  has  retained  that  atmosphere  of 
classic  times  which  we  obtained  by  constant  intercourse  with 
these  ancients  during  our  years  at  school.  We  may  refresh 
our  memory,  however,  and  at  the  same  time  glean  the  most 
modem  thought  upon  those  times,  by  having  recourse  to 
certain  useful  volumes,  companions  to  our  study  of  these 
classic  writers. 

J.  A.  St.  John's  *  Manners  and  Customs  of  Ancient  Greece,' 
three  octavo  volumes  which  appeared  in  1842,  is  a  perfect 
encyclopaedia  in  itself.     Of  Mr.  Leonard  Whibley's  '  Com- 


Books  which  form  the  Library  73 

panion  to  Greek  Studies  '  a  third  edition,  with  more  than 
200  illustrations  and  maps,  was  published  by  the  Cambridge 
University  Press  in  1916.  The  fellow  volume  is  by  Sir 
J.  E.  Sandys,  and  is  entitled  '  A  Companion  to  Latin  Studies.* 
The  second  edition,  very  fully  illustrated,  appeared  in  1913 — 
a  large  octavo  also  published  at  a  guinea  by  the  same  press. 
Professor  Mahaffy's  *  Social  Life  in  Greece  from  Homer  to 
Menander  '  has  gone  through  a  number  of  editions.  For  the 
theatre  of  the  Greeks  we  must  turn  to  '  The  Attic  Theatre  ' 
by  A.  E.  Haigh.  The  third  edition,  edited  by  Mr.  A.  W. 
Pickard-Cambridge,  was  issued  by  tne  Clarendon  Press,  1907. 
It  is  the  standard  work  upon  this  subject ;  and  therein  one 
can  find  all  about  everything  pertaining  to  the  Greek  theatre 
and  the  actual  presentation  of  the  play.  A  useful  little  guide 
to  the  study  of  ancient  Greece  and  Italy  is  Dr.  J.  B.  Mayer's 
'  Guide  to  the  Choice  of  Classical  Books,'  a  small  octavo  of 
which  a  third  edition  appeared  in  1885.  In  1896  a  *  new 
supplement '  was  published,  and  this  contains  fifty  pages  of 
*  Helps  to  the  Study  of  Ancient  Authors ' — the  best  books 
which  had  appeared  up  to  1896  on  the  Art,  Coins,  Law, 
History,  Philosophy,  Religion,  Science,  Domestic  Life, 
Amusements,  and  almost  every  aspect  of  life  in  ancient  Rome 
and  Athens.  Copies  of  this  invaluable  reference  book  are 
probably  in  most  of  the  public  libraries  throughout  the 
kingdom. 

With  regard  to  some  of  the  other  great  world-classics, 
Boccaccio  has  been  attempted  by  many  translators,  none  of 
whom  can  be  said  to  have  succeeded,  and  I  forbear  to 
recommend  any  English  version.  He  is  straightforward  and 
not  difficult  to  read  in  the  original,  and  it  is  well  worth 
learning  sufficient  Italian  to  enable  one  to  explore  his  rich 
charm  for  oneself. 

As  to  Calderon,  eight  of  his  plays  have  been  rendered  in 
English  by  that  prince  of  translators  Edward  Fitzgerald, 
though  his  version  is  not,  nor  did  he  pretend  it  to  be,  a  close 
translation.     Yet  it  is  more  in  the  spirit  of  the  dramatist  than 


74  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

one  would  deem  possible  in  an  English  version  of  a  Spanish 
author.  Six  of  these  plays  were  first  published  by  Fitzgerald 
in  1853,  and  this  volume  was  reprinted  in  the  series  known 
as  '  The  King's  Classics  '  in  1903.  The  complete  set  of  eight 
may  be  obtained  in  one  small  octavo  volume,  in  the  beautiful 
'  Eversley  '  series  published  by  Macmillan.  But  you  may 
read  seventeen  of  Calderon's  plays,  in  the  French  of  Damas 
Hinard,  in  the  '  Chef  d'oeuvre  du  Theatre  Espagnol,'  1841-3, 
which  also  includes  the  works  of  Lope  de  Vega:  in  all  five 
small  octavo  volumes — if  you  are  so  lucky  as  to  find  them. 

With  regard  to  Don  Quixote,  as  a  boy  our  book-hunter 
made  more  than  one  attempt  to  explore  '  the  ingenious 
gentleman  '  but  always  gave  it  up  after  proceeding  less  than 
half-way  through  the  first  volume.  It  was  all  so  dry  and 
outlandish,  and  the  version  he  possessed  was  written  in  such 
stilted  language.  There  were  no  notes  to  his  edition,  and 
whole  passages  and  allusions  were  beyond  his  comprehension. 
Looking  back  now  I  more  than  suspect  that  they  were  beyond 
the  comprehension  of  the  translator  as  well.  '  Rocinante,' 
spelt  *  Rosinante,'  he  thought  was  rather  a  pretty  name  for 
the  Don's  charger ;  but  he  saw  no  humour  in  it  until  he 
discovered,  many  years  later,  that  rocin  means  a  *  cart-horse  ' 
and  anfe,  '  previously.'  Nor  could  he  see  anything  amusing 
in  the  landlord's  boast  that  he  too  had  been  a  knight-errant 
in  his  time,  roaming  the  Isles  of  Riaran  in  quest  of  adventures 
— until  he  learnt  that  this  was  a  city  slum,  the  resort  of 
thieves  and  cut-throats.  The  whole  work  abounds  with  local 
and  topical  allusions,  and  it  is  essential  that  our  edition  be 
well  supplied  with  notes.  There  is  one  which  fulfils  this 
condition  and  in  addition  provides  a  most  scholarly  text,  more 
closely  approaching  the  original  than  any  other  which  has 
appeared  hitherto.  This  is  the  masterly  translation  of  John 
Ormsby,  which  appeared  in  four  octavo  volumes  in  1885.  It 
contains  a  valuable  history  of  the  work,  together  with  a  life 
of  Cervantes,  and  the  appendices  to  the  last  volume  contain 
a  bibliography  of  the  immortal  book. 


Books  which  form  the  Library  75 

Dante  must  be  read  in  the  original  tongue.  There  is  a 
lofty  and  spiritual  grandeur  in  the  language  of  the  three  great 
epics  which  one  can  never  hope  to  reahse  in  reading  transla- 
tions, be  they  never  so  good.  Nevertheless  those  versions 
which  are  most  in  favour  among  students  are  of  considerable 
value  as  commentaries,  and  are  of  great  assistance  in  reading 
the  original.  One  cannot  do  better  at  the  outset  of  one's 
acquaintance  with  the  great  poet  than  to  procure  Dr.  J.  A. 
Carlyle's  excellent  version  of  the  '  Inferno.'  A  third  edition 
was  published  in  1882.  It  has  explanatory  notes  and  a  prose 
translation,  in  measured,  dignified  language,  above  the  text 
of  the  original ;  forming  in  all  respects  a  handy  and  convenient 
volume.  Dr.  A.  J.  Butler's  versions  of  the  '  Purgatory  '  and 
'  Paradise  '  were  issued,  in  octavo,  in  1880  and  1885 
respectively.  Aids  to  the  study  of  Dante  are  legion.  The 
fourth  edition  of  Professor  J.  Addington  Symond's 
'  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Dante  '  appeared  in  1899  ; 
whilst  Lord  Vernon's  '  Readings  in  Dante,'  six  octavo 
volumes,  is  said  to  have  occupied  that  great  scholar  for  more 
than  twenty-five  years  of  his  life. 

Goethe  is  known  to  English  readers  chiefly  by  the  immortal 
Faust ;  and  this  work  alone  has  engaged  the  attention  of 
numerous  scholars.  A  volume  containing  seven  of  Goethe's 
plays  in  Enghsh  was  published  in  Bohn's  Standard  Library 
in  1879.  It  included  Sir  Walter  Scott's  version  of  '  Goetz 
von  Berlichingen,'  the  remainder  being  translated  by  Miss 
Swanwick  and  E.  A.  Bowring.  Miss  Swanwick's  '  Faust '  is 
well  known  and  has  often  been  reprinted  ;  a  beautiful  edition 
illustrated  by  Mr.  Gilbert  James  appeared  in  1906.  There  is 
a  version,  however,  which  stands  far  above  the  rest,  a  version 
which  the  writer  for  his  part  has  always  considered  to  rank 
with  the  greatest  translations.  This  is  the  '  Faust '  of 
Bayard  Taylor,  which  indeed  may  be  read  as  a  poem  in  itself. 
But  then  Taylor  had  advantages  possessed  by  few  translators. 
An  American  by  birth,  his  mother  was  a  German,  and  he 
spent  a  part  of  his  life  in  Germany.     From  his  birth  he  was 


76  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

bilinguous ;  and  added  to  this  linguistic  advantage  were  his 
profound  scholarship  and  poetic  gift.  There  are  numerous 
editions  of  his  work,  but  only  one — so  far  as  I  am  aware,  in 
this  country  at  least — worthy  of  its  great  merit,  namely,  that 
which  appeared  in  two  octavo  volumes  in  1871,  It  is  an 
edition  somewhat  hard  to  obtain. 

For  Schiller's  dramatic  works  we  must  have  recourse  to 
Coleridge,  who  has  given  us  versions  of  both  parts  of  the 
*  Wallenstein  '  and  *  William  Tell.'  The  Poems  and  Ballads 
were  rendered  in  English  by  Sir  E.  Bulwer  Lytton  (Lord 
Lytton):  two  volumes,  1844.  Heine's  short  four-line  verses 
do  not  lend  themselves  to  translating  and  though  many  have 
attempted  it,  the  results  are  almost  always  a  jingle,  often 
approaching  doggerel.  The  prose  works  have  recently  been 
translated  by  Mr.  C.  G.  Leland,  and  the  '  Atta  Troll  *  by 
Miss  Armour,  both  forming  part  of  a  twelve  volume  edition 
published  between  1892  and  1905. 

The  mention  of  Rabelais  conjures  up  one  of  those 
extremely  rare  instances  where  a  translation  constitutes  as 
great  a  classic  as  the  original  work.  Whether  it  was  the 
difficulty  of  translation,  or  the  despair  of  eclipsing  so  notable 
a  success  as  had  been  achieved  by  their  predecessor,  that 
deterred  other  scholars  from  making  the  attempt,  we  know 
not ;  but  certain  it  is  that  the  version  put  forth  by  Sir  Thomas 
Urquhart  in  1653  has  remained,  and  seems  likely  to  remain, 
the  standard  representation  of  the  fantastic  *  Doctor  in 
Physick '  in  this  language.  Urquhart,  that  polished  and 
gifted  Scottish  d'Artagnan,  translated  the  first  three  books 
only ;  the  last  two  were  added  by  Motteux,  a  French  refugee, 
in  1694.  Urquhart' s  work,  *  precise,  elegant,  and  very 
faithful,'  comes  as  near  perfection  as  any  translation  can  hope 
to  be.  Motteux' s  rendering  was  revised  by  Ozell ;  but 
unfortunately  it  falls  far  short  of  the  version  of  Sir  Thomas, 
who,  with  a  longer  life,  might  perhaps  have  undertaken  these 
last  two  books  as  well. 

Of  these    five    books    of   Master    Francis    Rabelais    thus 


Books  which  form  the  Library  77 

english'd,  there  have  been,  of  course,  numerous  editions. 
Our  book-hunter  prefers  that  which  appeared  in  three  quarto 
volumes  in  1904,  with  photogravure  illustrations  by  M.  Louis 
Chalon.  Both  from  a  scholarly  and  a  bibliographical  stand- 
point it  is  all  that  can  be  desired,  and  one  can  have  a  copy 
for  less  than  a  pound. 

Why  is  it  that  we  all  have  some  acquaintance  at  least  with 
the  Arabian  Nights?  What  have  these  purely  Eastern  tales 
to  do  with  us  ?  Both  questions  may  be  cinswered  at  once. 
It  is  because  they  contain  the  very  essence  of  oriental  thought, 
manners,  customs,  habits,  speech,  and  deeds :  because  we  can 
learn  from  them  more  of  the  everyday  life  of  the  orient,  both 
of  to-day  and  of  a  thousand  years  ago,  than  an  entire  library 
of  travels  can  teach  us.  Surely  it  is  more  than  mere  curiosity 
that  urges  us  to  know  something  at  least  of  the  manner  in 
which  so  many  millions  of  our  fellow-beings  live. 

Who  has  not  read  at  least  some  of  these  glorious  tales? 
Who  has  not  heard  of  Sinbad  or  the  Roc,  of  Scheherazade  or 
of  Haroun  al  Raschid  ?     Truly  they  are 

'  The  tales  that  charm  away  the  wakeful  night 
In  Araby,    romances  ' ; 

Wordsworth  himself  came  eeu-ly  under  their  spell.  He  tells 
how  as  a  young  child 

'  A  precious  treasure  had  I  long  possessed, 
A  little  yellow,  canvas-covered  book, 
A  slender  abstract  of  the  Arabian  tales ; 
And,  from  companions  in  a  new  abode, 
When   first   I   learnt   that  this   dear   prize   of   mine 
Was  but  a  block  hewn  from  a  mighty  quarry — 
That  there  were  four  large  volumes,  laden  all 
With  kindred  matter,  'twas  to  me,  in  truth, 
A  promise  scarcely  earthly.' 

And  so  he  makes  a  covenant  *  with  one  not  richer  than 
myself  *  that  each  should  save  up  until  their  joint  savings 
were  sufficient  to  purchase  the  complete  work.     But  alas ! 

'  Through  several  months, 
In  spite  of  all   temptation,    we  preserved 
Religiously  that  vow;    but  firmness  failed, 
Nor  were  we  ever  masters  of  our  wish.' 

There  must  be  few  books  in  the  world  from  which  we  may 
learn    so    much    while    being    so    rapturously    entertained. 


78  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Burton's  edition  is  perhaps  the  best  known  to  Enghsh 
readers,  though  Lane's  version  is  much  to  be  preferred.  Of 
the  latter  there  are  many  editions.* 

How  much  has  been  written  on  the  Art  of  Reading,  and 
what  scanty  knowledge  of  that  art  have  the  most  industrious 
of  readers !  Outside  the  Universities,  reading  is  apt  nowadays 
to  be  looked  upon  as  a  light  form  of  recreation,  generally  to 
be  indulged  in  on  a  rainy  day.  '  There's  nothing  to  do  but 
sit  indoors  and  read,'  one  frequently  hears  remarked  in 
country  houses  when  the  weather  is  too  inclement  to  permit 
of  motoring.  Novel-reading  has  indeed  become  a  part  of  our 
fashionable  life. 

How  often,  too,  does  one  come  across  readers  of  both  sexes 
who  possess,  seemingly,  a  wide  knowledge  of  books,  even  of 
the  great  books  of  the  world.  Yet  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
such  knowledge  is  of  the  most  superficial  kind,  acquired  by 
'  dipping  into  '  such  and  such  an  author  to  ascertain  whether 
he  be  to  his  or  her  taste.  Frankly,  the  great  author  is  almost 
invariably  tiot  to  the  modern  reader's  taste  ;  but  the  scanty 
knowledge  acquired  by  perusing  the  first  chapter,  the 
headings  of  the  remaining  chapters,  and  the  last  chapter, 
enables  the  reader  (save  the  mark!)  to  discourse  at  large  on 
this  particular  writer  among  his  own  coterie.  Perchance  one 
of  his  friends  has  similarly  insulted  the  great  author,  and  they 
are  enabled  to  discuss  the  book  for  nearly  a  minute  by  the 


*  There  is  no  doubt  that  Burton  was  largely  indebted  to  Payne  for  his 
'  translation  ' ;  indeed  he  is  said  merely  to  have  paraphrased  and  rearranged 
the  version  which  Payne  had  just  previously  prepared  for  the  Villon  Society, 
adding  explanatory  notes  of  a  character  which  renders  it  essential  that  his 
edition  be  kept  under  lock  and  key.  It  was  issued  to  subscribers  by  Burton 
himself  in  London  (though  ostensibly  '  by  the  Kamashastra  Society  at 
Benares '),  being  printed,  and  probably  bound,  by  Brill  at  Leyden.  The 
Kamashastra  Society  was  a  myth.  The  ten  volumes  (1885-6)  were  sold  to  the 
subscribers  at  ten  guineas  the  set,  and  the  entire  edition  (1000)  was  sub- 
scribed for  before  publication.  (Ex  inform  :  E.  H.-A.,  one  of  the  original 
subscribers  and  a  friend  of  Burton.)  Six  volumes  of  Supplemental  Nights 
were  issued  by  Burton  between  1886  and  1888.  A  set  of  the  sixteen  volumes 
now  costs  about  forty  pounds.  It  was  reprinted  (by  H.  S.  Nichols)  in 
1894,  in  twelve  volumes,  onlv  slightly  expurgated,  the  present  price  being 
about  twelve  pounds.  A  supplementary  volume  of  illustrations  was  issued 
with  this  last  edition. 


Books  which  form  the  Library  79 

clock,  each  thinking  the  other  a  devihsh  well-read  fellow. 
Truly  it  has  been  said  that  *  just  as  profligacy  is  easy  within 
the  strict  limits  of  the  law,  a  boundless  knowledge  of  books 
may  be  found  with  a  narrow  education.'* 

More  rarely  one  comes  across  a  man  who,  being  the 
fortunate  possessor  of  a  truly  w'onderful  memory,  is  enabled 
to  retain  the  bulk  of  the  information  which  he  has  acquired 
by  wide  reading.  There  is  a  story  told  of  a  certain  don  at 
one  of  our  older  universities  who,  being  possessed  of  an 
insatiable  thirst  for  knowledge  coupled  with  an  excellent 
memory  and  an  inexhaustible  capacity  for  work,  passed  as  a 
well-read  if  not  a  very  learned  man.  There  seemed  to  be 
few  topics  upon  which  he  could  not  discourse  on  equal  terms 
even  with  those  who  had  made  that  subject  their  own. 

Now  it  happened  that  there  were  two  young  Fellows  at  the 
same  college  who,  wearied  of  his  constant  superiority  in 
conversation,  determined  to  take  Brown  (for  such  was  his 
name)  '  down  a  peg  or  two.'  So  each  night  at  dinner  in  hall 
they  skilfully  turned  the  conversation  to  unusual  topics, 
hoping  to  light  upon  some  chink  in  the  redoubtable  Brown's 
intellectual  armour.  Once  they  tried  him  on  the  rarer  British 
hemipterous  homoptera,  but  soon  discovered  that  he  was  a 
very  fair  entomologist.  Next  evening  the  conversation  veered 
to  ancient  Scandinavian  burial  rites,  but  here  again  he  could 
give  them  points.  The  Byzantine  coinage  of  Cyprus  was,  of 
course,  well  known  to  him  while  he  had  himself  worked  on 
the  oolitic  foraminifera  of  the  blue  marl  at  Biarritz.  His 
experiments  on  the  red  colouring  matter  of  drosera  rotundi- 
folia  had  formed  the  subject  of  a  monograph,  and  he  was 
particularly  interested  in  the  hagiological  folk-lore  of  Lower 
Brittany. 

It  seemed  almost  hopeless.  Try  as  they  would  they  could 
find  no  subject  with  which  he  was  unacquainted.  Every  night 
some  fresh  outlandish  topic  was  introduced.     Brown  looked 

*  Mr.  Frederic  Harrison. 


80  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

very  bored,  and  proceeded  to  tell  them  all  there  was  to  be 
said  upon  the  subject.  But  one  night  a  casual  remark  put 
them  on  the  right  track.  Someone  happened  to  ask  Brown 
a  question  about  Indian  music.  He  answered  shortly,  and 
remarked  that  it  was  a  subject  upon  which  a  good  deal  of 
work  was  yet  to  be  done.  The  conspirators  looked  across  the 
table  at  each  other,  left  the  common-room  early,  and  retired 
to  Jones's  rooms. 

'  Did  you  notice  ? '  said  Jones. 

'  Yes,'  said  Smith ;  *  he  evidently  doesn't  know  much  about 
oriental  music' 

'  But  he  will  by  to-morrow,'  replied  the  astute  Jones.  *  As 
soon  as  ever  he  gets  to  his  rooms  to-night,  he'll  read  up 
everything  he  possibly  can  on  Indian  music,  and  he'll  continue 
in  the  Library  to-morrow.  By  dinner-time  he'll  be  stuffed 
full  of  tom-toms  and  shawms  and  dulcimers,  or  whatever  they 
play  in  India.' 

*  We  must  ride  him  off,'  said  Smith.  *  How  about  Chinese 
music?     He  won't  know  anything  about  that' 

This  seemed  such  a  promising  topic  that  they  got  out  the 
encyclopaedia  and  found  to  their  joy  that  there  was  quite  a 
lengthy  and  learned  disquisition  on  the  subject.  So  they  read 
it  again  and  again,  even  learning  the  more  abstruse  sentences 
by  heart.  Next  day  they  were  observed  to  chuckle  whenever 
they  caught  each  other's  eye,  and  at  lunch  they  were  unusually 
cheerful  and  more  than  ordinarily  attentive  to  the  unsuspecting 
Brown. 

That  night  at  dinner  they  could  hardly  restrain  their 
impatience,  and  Smith  introduced  the  topic,  rather  clumsily, 
as  soon  as  the  fish  appeared.  Brown  stared  at  them  and  said 
nothing.  Jones,  plucking  up  courage,  presently  asked  him  a 
question  about  the  dominant  fifth  of  the  scale  used  by  the 
natives  of  Quang-Tung.  He  answered  evasively.  They 
could  hardly  conceal  their  delight,  and  their  voices  rose  so 
that  presently  the  whole  table  was  looking  at  them.  At  some 
of  their  recondite  utterances  Brown  fairly  winced,  and  it  soon 


Books  which  form  the  Library  81 

became  evident  to  all  what  was  afoot.  Upstairs  in  the 
common-room  they  pursued  their  unhappy  victim.  The 
senior  tutor  and  the  dean,  secretly  enjoying  the  fun,  stood 
near.  At  last,  flushed  with  victory,  Jones  proceeded  to 
adminster  the  coup  de  grace. 

'  You  really  ought  to  read  something  about  Chinese  music, 
Brown,  it's  a  most  interesting  topic,  and  I'm  sure  you'd  like 
to  be  able  to  talk  about  it.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  good 
books  on  the  subject.  For  a  start  you  couldn't  do  better 
than  study  the  article  in  the  "  Encyclopaedia  Academica." 
It's  clear  and  concise,  evidently  written  by  a  man  who  knows 
what  he's  talking  about.* 

*  I  Aave  read  it,'  said  Brown  patiently ;  '  in  fact  I — er — 
wrote  it,  but  I'm  afraid  it's  quite  out  of  date  now.' 

We  are  not  all  the  lucky  possessors  of  such  a  capacity  for 
acquiring  knowledge.  Wide  reading  may  be  good  from  an 
educational  point  of  view,  but  unless  we  are  able  to  assimilate 
what  we  read  better  a  thousand  times  to  restrict  our  reading. 
Gibbon's  advice  is  bad,  for  it  indicates  merely  the  system  he 
employed  in  compiling  his  monumental  work.  '  We  ought 
not,'  he  remarks,  *  to  attend  to  the  order  of  our  books  so 
much  as  (to  the  order)  of  our  thoughts.'  So,  in  the  midst  of 
Homer  he  would  skip  to  Longinus ;  a  passage  in  Longinus 
would  send  him  to  Pliny,  and  so  on.  General  reading  upon 
this  plan,  with  no  idea  of  collection  in  view,  would  in  time 
reduce  most  of  us  to  idiocy. 

Let  our  reading  be,  above  all  things,  well  ordered  and 
systematic.  Let  us  imitate  Ancillon  rather  than  Gibbon. 
Ancillon  never  read  a  book  throughout  without  reading  in 
his  progress  many  others  of  an  exegetic  nature ;  so  that  '  his 
library  table  was  always  covered  with  a  number  of  books  for 
the  most  part  open.'*  An  excellent  habit,  provided  that  we 
can  resist  the  temptation  to  be  side-tracked.  The  list  of 
books  by  this  industrious  student,  however,  shows  by  their 

*  Isaac  Disraeli. 


82  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

curious  variety  that  he  at  least  was  not  sufficiently  strong- 
minded  to  resist  wandering,  during  the  compilation  of  his 
historical  works,  in  the  byways  of  literature. 

If  we  read  the  good  solid  books  at  all,  let  us  at  least  read 
them  with  the  aim  of  acquiring  the  maximum  amount  of 
information  they  afford.  To  read  sketchily  and  diversely  is 
not  only  a  most  painful  waste  of  time,  but  it  abuses  our  brains. 
Suppose  now  that  our  bookman  has  decided  to  '  read  up  * 
the  French  Revolution,  a  subject  to  which  we  all  turn  at  some 
period  of  our  lives.  He  has  been  led  thereto,  perhaps,  by 
having  lighted  upon  a  translation  of  someone's  memoirs,  the 
recollections  of  some  insignificant  valet-de-chambre  or 
dissolute  cure  (for  such  memoirs  abound),  more  interesting  by 
reason  of  its  piquancy  than  its  historical  accuracy.  He  reads 
of  persons  and  events  that  he  recollects  vaguely  to  have  heard 
of  before,  and  so  he  goes  on  and  on. 

At  the  end,  he  has  an  ambiguous  and  temporary  knowledge 
of  names  and  events.  He  has  become  acquainted  with  certain 
facts  that  he  may  possibly  remember ;  such  as  that  the  name 
of  the  French  King  was  Louis  and  that  his  Queen  was  Marie 
Antoinette,  that  they  tried  to  escape  and  got  as  far  as 
Varennes  (wherever  that  may  be),  but  were  brought  back  and 
executed  ;  that  there  were  various  politicians  named  Mirabeau, 
Danton,  Robespierre,  Desmoulins,  and  a  curious  party  called 
the  Girondins,  et  cetera.  As  to  the  causes  which  led  up  to 
the  Revolution,  the  condition  of  the  country  and  people,  the 
ministry  of  Turgot,  the  characters  of  the  King  and  Queen, 
Necker's  policy,  the  Abbe  Sieyes,  the  Tennis  Court,  the 
composition  of  the  Assembly,  and  the  host  of  essential  facts, 
his  knowledge  is  precisely  nil.  The  terms  Right  Centre, 
Extreme  Left,  the  Jacobins,  the  White  Terror,  Assignats, 
Hebertists  and  Dantonists,  the  Montagnards,  the  Old 
Cordelier,  are  so  much  '  Hebrew-Greek  '  to  him.  At  the  end 
of  six  months  he  will  not  be  at  all  sure  whether  it  was 
Louis  XIV.,  XV.,  or  XVI.  who  was  beheaded. 

Surely  his  reading  of  these  dubious  memoirs  has  been  a 


Books  which  form  the  Library  83 

most  mistaken  course  and  a  lamentable  waste  of  time?  He 
has  gained  nothing  that  has  benefited  him  intellectually,  and 
he  has  loaded  his  mind  with  an  indigestible  hotch-potch  of 
unclassified  information.  How  then  should  he  have  approached 
the  subject?  Obviously  he  should  have  begun  at  the 
threshold,  or  rather  at  the  outer  gate.  To  plunge  straight 
away  into  Louis  Blanc's  twelve  volumes  or  Lamartine's 
'  History  of  the  Girondins  '  would  be  as  great  a  mistake  as 
the  reading  of  the  unprofitable  memoirs.  A  good  beginning 
is  half  done.  So,  having  prepared  the  way  by  a  short  study 
of  the  economic  condition  of  France  immediately  prior  to  the 
Revolution,  that  he  may  readily  understand  the  causes  of  that 
event,  let  our  reader  begin  with  some  elementary  school 
text-book  which  will  give  him  a  short  and  concise  view  of 
the  Revolution  as  a  whole.  Having  laid  the  foundations  he 
will  confine  himself  at  the  outset  to  works  in  his  own  tongue  ; 
choosing  his  literature  for  each  succeeding  phase  of  the 
Revolution  in  turn.  But  until  he  has  obtained  a  thorough 
groundwork  and  has  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  to  enable 
him  to  explore  the  more  famous  works  in  French,  it  were 
profitless  to  devour  the  scraps  afforded  by  dubious  memoir 
writers. 

If  we  read  three  books  consecutively  on  any  one  subject, 
we  know  not  merely  three  times  as  much  as  if  we  had  read 
one  only,  but  thirty  times.  And  our  knowledge  of  the  subject 
will  not  be  vague,  inaccurate  and  fleeting,  but  it  will  be 
concise,  accurate  and  permanent.  To  acquire  a  correct  and 
lasting  knowledge  of  any  subject,  whether  it  be  an  event  or 
an  epoch  of  history,  a  science  or  an  art  or  craft,  it  is  essential 
that  we  read  consecutively  and  comparatively  as  many  books 
upon  that  subject  as  our  opportunities  and  time  allow.  It 
should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  if  we  are  content  to  read 
one  volume  only,  it  is  quite  possible  that  we  may  chance  upon 
an  author  who  is  inaccurate  or  biased,  or  whose  work  docs 
not  represent  the  latest  stage  of  our  knowledge  upon  that 
subject. 


CHAPTER    IV 


CHIVALRY  AND  ROMANCE 


'  Mekely,   lordynges  gentyll   and   fre, 
Lysten  awhile  and  herken  to  me.' 

Hue  de  Rotelande. 

NCE  upon  a  time,  long  long  before  the 
Venerable  Bede  had  completed  that  famous 
last  chapter  in  his  cell  at  Jarrow,  there  lived 
in  the  ancient  capital  of  Sampsiceramus,  a 
holy  man  named  Heliodorus.  Now  in  his 
youth  Heliodorus  (as  is  not  uncommon  with 
the  young)  had  turned  his  thoughts  to  worldly  things ;  and 
being  of  a  romantic  nature,  wearied  by  the  eternal  sameness 
of  the  books  available  to  him,  had  conceived  the  extraordinary 
notion  of  writing  an  untrue  book,  a  book  that  should  never 
instruct  or  point  a  moral  or  show  you  where  you  are  wrong, 
but  should  be  all  joyousness  and  enchantment.  Possessed 
with  this  great  idea,  timidly  yet  sure  of  himself,  he  set  to  work. 
The  very  first  thing  he  did  was  sufficiently  startling  for 
those  days.  Instead  of  selecting  some  great  man  for  his 
central  figure  and  putting  his  dialogue  into  the  mouths  of 
learned  men,  fathers  of  the  church,  philosophers,  orators,  or 
famous  poets,  he  chose  deliberately  a  young  and  handsome 
man    of   no    particular  learning,    and — a   woman!       It    was 


Chivalry  and  Romance  85 

unheard  of!  A  book,  a  voluminous  roll  closely  written, 
containing  nothing  but  the  adventures  of  a  pair  of  lovers! 
Monstrous!  Yet  it  was  done  at  last,  and  the  roll,  finding 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  a  bosom  friend,  was  quickly  passed  from 
hand  to  hand.  All  were  entranced  by  it.  Here  was  a  book 
that  had  characters  one  could  understand,  for  whom  one  could 
even  feel  affection.  The  loves  of  dashing  young  Theagenes 
and  his  dear  Chariclea  found  an  echo  in  many  a  youthful 
breast. 

Meanwhile  Heliodorus  disappears  from  view,  and  for  many 
years  we  hear  nothing  of  him  until  suddenly  he  reappears  as 
a  bishop  in  Thessaly !  Now  comes  the  sequel  to  his  audacious 
design,  but  for  which  it  is  doubtful  if  we  should  ever  have 
heard  of  him.  A  synod  was  convened,  and  Heliodorus  was 
condemned  because  in  his  youth  he  had  written  a  novel.  He 
was  given  his  choice  between  bishopric  and  book,  to  retain 
the  one  he  must  destroy  the  other  by  word  as  well  as  by  deed. 

At  first  sight  the  choice  appears  not  difficult  to  make,  for 
although  so  laical  and  original  a  work  had  proved  to  be 
popular,  yet  such  popularity  was  hardly  of  a  nature  to  appeal 
to  so  devout  a  Christian  as  one  who  had  already  attained 
episcopal  rank.  But  to  Heliodorus  his  work  (which  may  well 
have  been  the  employment  of  some  years)  stood  for  all  that 
he  held  most  dear.  It  was  his  conception  of  the  ideal  in 
worldly — as  opposed  to  spiritual — life.  Less  austere,  perhaps, 
than  many  of  the  fathers  of  the  early  Church  whose  works 
had  seemed  so  tedious  to  him  in  his  youth,  his  devoutness 
was  tempered  largely  with  a  charity  and  forgiveness  that 
were  not  unworthy  of  his  creed.  It  was  impossible  to  deny 
those  principles  of  chivalric  virtue  and  chastity  which  his  novel 
preached,  so  he  chose  to  stand  by  his  book  rather  than  by  his 
benefice,  and  quitted  Thessaly. 

So  runs  the  pleasing  tale  of  Nicephorus.  But  alas!  the 
relentless  voice  of  modern  research  will  have  it  that  the  real 
author  was  not  the  bishop  at  all,  but  a  Sophist  who  lived  in 
the  third  century  of  our  era.     Be  it  as  it  may,  I  for  my  part 


86  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

shall  go  on  believing  the  old  romantic  tale  until  a  better  one 
is  invented  for  the  Sophist 

The  work  itself  is  called  *  Ten  Books  of  Aethiopian 
History,*  for  the  first  and  last  scenes  are  laid  in  Egypt,  but 
it  is  better  known  by  the  name  of  its  hero  and  heroine.  Its 
popularity  was  immense,  and  it  was  soon  translated  into 
'  almost  all  languages.'  Later  Pere  Amyot  published  a 
version  in  French  for  Francis  I.,  who  was  so  delighted  with 
the  result  that  he  made  the  translator  abbe  of  Belozane. 
Racine  tells  us  it  was  this  ancient  romance  that  first  fired  his 
imagination  with  the  desire  to  write.  His  tutor  discovered 
him  absorbed  in  its  contents,  and  snatching  it  from  his  hand 
angrily  consigned  it  to  the  fire.  Racine  bought  another  copy, 
which  suffered  a  like  fate.  But  so  strong  a  hold  upon  him 
had  the  story,  that  he  purchased  a  third,  and  devoured  it  in 
secret,  offering  it  to  his  master  with  a  smile  when  he  had 
thoroughly  mastered  its  contents. 

It  seems  that  this  ancient  Greek  romance  was  lost  for 
many  centuries.  At  the  sack  of  Buda  in  1526,  however,  a 
manuscript  of  it  was  discovered  in  the  royal  library,  where  it 
had  once  formed  part  of  the  vast  library  amassed  by  Matthias 
Corvinus,  the  great  King  of  Hungary.  Matthias  is  said  to 
have  '  spoken  almost  all  the  European  languages,'  so  doubtless 
he  had  passed  many  a  pleasant  hour  with  the  tale.  This 
manuscript  (others  have  since  been  discovered)  was  printed 
at  Basel  '  in  officina  loan  Hervagii '  in  1534,  a  small  quarto 
printed  with  Greek  types.* 

That  the  early  romances  of  chivalry  possess  a  charm  for 
the  book-collector  it  is  impossible  to  deny.  They  are  *  a 
series  of  books,'  writes  Mr.  John  Ormsby,  *  which,  complete, 
would  be  a  glory  to  any  hbrary  in  the  world ;  which,  in  first 
editions,  would  now  probably  fetch  a  sum  almost  large  enough 


*  There  are  242  pages  in  this  editio  princeps,  after  which  should  come  a 
leaf  with  [a)  blank  (b)  device  of  John  Hervey  or  Hervagius.  It  was  english'd 
by  Thomas  Underdowne,  and  published  in  small  octavo  by  Frauncis  Coldocke, 
at  the  sign  of  the  greene  Dragon  in  Paules  churchyeard,  in  1587. 


Chivalry  and  Romance  87 

to  endow  a  college ;  and  which  ....  is  perhaps  ....  as 
worthless  a  set  of  books  as  could  be  made  up  out  of  the  refuse 
novels  of  a  circulating  hbrary.'  Times  without  number  they 
have  been  derided  and  decried,  even  in  the  days  when  they 
were  popular.  The  curate  of  La  Mancha  was  not  the  only 
one  who  disapproved  of  them.  '  In  our  fathers  tyme,'  wrote 
old  Roger  Ascham,  judging  the  flock  by  a  few  black  sheep, 
'  nothing  was  red,  but  bookes  of  fayned  cheualrie,  wherein  a 
man  by  redinge,  shuld  be  led  to  none  other  ende,  but  onely 
to  manslaughter  and  baudrye.'  Possevino,  a  learned  Jesuit 
and  famous  preacher  of  the  sixteenth  century,  used  to  complain 
that  for  the  last  five  hundred  years  the  princes  of  Europe  had 
read  nothing  but  romances.  Rene  d'Anjou  listened  to  his 
chaplain  inveighing  against  Launcelot,  Amadis,  and  the 
romances  of  which  he  was  particularly  fond ;  but,  says 
Villeneuve,  while  respecting  the  preacher  for  his  boldness, 
the  king  continued  to  read  them,  and  even  composed  new 
volumes  in  imitation  of  them.* 

Full  of  monstrous  fictions  some  of  these  ancient  stories 
undoubtedly  are.  It  were  foolish  to  expect  that  all  of  them 
should  attain  the  high  level  of  those  great  legends  which 
centre  about  the  Holy  Grail.  Good  things  have  ever  been 
imitated  indifferently ;  and  it  was  only  the  later  series  of 
tales  which  had  to  do  chiefly  with  enchantments  and  fairies 
and  '  giaunts,  hard  to  be  beleeved.'  But  alas!  all  alike  have 
come  under  the  ban  of  those  who  decry  reading  for 
recreation's  sake.  Good  and  bad  have  been  damn'd 
indifferently.  One  cannot  help  wondering  however  that  so 
much  has  been  written  against  them,  and  that  so  many  have 


*  "  II  estoit  bon  musicien,  tres-bon  Poete  Francois  et  Italien,  se  delectant 
singulierement  a  lire  les  belles  et  naifues  rithmes  de  nos  Poetes  Prouen^aux 

tellement   qu'il    a   compose    en    son    temps   plusieurs   beaux    et 

gracieux  Romans  comme  La  conqueste  de  la  douce  mercy,  et  Le  mortifiement 

de   vaine   plaisance Mais   sur   toutes   choses   aimoit   il   d'un    amour 

passionnez  la  peinture qu'il   estoit  en  bruit  et  reputation  entre  Ics 

plus  excellents  Peintres  et  Enlumineurs  de  son  temps."  (Nostradamus).  He 
had  a  fine  library  which  contained  all  the  most  celebrated  compositions  of 
the  Provenfal  poets  and  troubadours. 


88  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

been  at  pains  to  point  out  their  unreasonableness.  One  would 
have  thought  that  the  very  fact  of  them  all  abounding  with 
incidents  that  are  not  only  impossible  but  preposterous, 
would  have  given  these  critics  pause,  and  have  urged  them  to 
ask  themselves  why  and  wherefore  such  things  were  repeated. 
To  anyone  possessed  of  imagination  the  answer,  of  course, 
is  obvious.  The  better  tales  all  had  the  exaltation  of  the 
chivalric  spirit  in  view,  and  sought  to  achieve  this  end  by 
allegory  as  well  as  by  parable.  He  must  be  a  dullard  indeed 
who  fails  to  understand  their  symbolism.  Malory,  describing 
the  entry  of  Tristram  into  the  field,  wishes  to  impress  upon 
us  the  fact  that  he  was  indeed  a  '  preux  chevalier,  sans  peur 
et  sans  reproche,'  the  model  of  a  Christian  knight ;  so  he 
mounts  him  on  a  white  horse  and  arrays  him  in  white  harness, 
and  he  rides  out  at  a  postern,  '  and  soo  he  came  in  to  the  feld 
as  it  had  ben  a  bryght  angel.'  Doubtless  those  to  whom 
understanding  has  been  denied  would  argue  hotly  as  to 
whether  there  is  any  authority  for  a  knight  painting  his 
armour  white.  What  sane  man,  reading  '  The  Faerie  Queene,' 
could  think  that  it  purported  to  depict  actual  scenes  or 
incidents  ?  Yet  time  and  again  the  '  sheer  impossibility  '  of 
these  stories  has  been  urged  in  condemnation  of  them.  Truly 
it  is  not  every  man  who  should  turn  to  these  ancient  books 
which 

'  In  sage  and  solemn  tunes  have  sung 
Of  Turneys  and  of  Trophies  hung, 
Of  Forests,  and  inchantments  drear, 
Wher:  more  is  meant  than  meets  the  ear.'' 

Gavaudan,  a  troubadour  of  the  twelfth  century,  meets  the 
undiscerning  critic  more  than  half-way.  Let  none  judge,  he 
writes,  till  he  be  capable  of  separating  the  grain  from  the 
chaff ;  '  for  the  fool  makes  haste  to  condemn,  and  the  ignorant 
only  pretends  to  know  all  things,  and  muses  on  the  wonders 
that  are  too  mighty  for  his  comprehension.* 

'  Romances,'  says  Sharon  Turner,  '  are  so  many  little 
Utopias,  in  which  the  writer  tries  to  paint  or  to  inculcate 
something  which  he  considers  to  be  more  useful,  more  happy 


Chivalry  and  Romance  89 

or  more  delightful,  more  excellent  or  more  interesting,  than 
the  world  he  lives  in,  than  the  characters  he  surveys,  or  the 
events  or  evils  which  he  experiences.'  Yet  Dunlop,  who 
examined  the  romances  of  chivalry  at  some  length  in  his 
'  History  of  Fiction,'  seems  never  to  have  suspected  that 
these  tales  were  written  with  any  other  intention  than  to 
amuse  or  that  the  events  which  they  related  were  looked  upon 
by  their  readers  as  other  than  facts.  For  Arthur  he  has 
scant  respect,  *  nor,'  says  he,  '  as  we  advance,  do  we  find  him 
possessed  of  a  single  quality,  except  strength  and  courage, 
to  excite  respect  or  interest.'  Surely  the  remark  of  one  who 
must  have  been  dead  to  all  sense  of  imagination  and  romance 
— although  purporting  to  be  an  authority  upon  them!  The 
teaching  of  the  whole  Arthurian  cycle  of  romances  was  '  that 
noble  men  may  see  and  leme  the  noble  actes  of  chyualrye, 
the  lentyl  and  vertuous  dedes  that  somme  Knyghtes  vsed  in 
tho  dayes,  by  whyche  they  came  to  honour ;  and  how  they 
that  were  vycious  were  punysshed  and  ofte  put  to  shame  and 
rebuke.'  The  quest  of  the  Holy  Grail,  motive  of  the  most 
exquisite  series  of  mystic  tales  that  has  ever  been  written, 
was,  we  are  expressly  informed,  *  the  hygh  way  of  our  Lord 
Jhesu  Cryst,  and  the  way  of  a  true  good  lyver,  not  that  of 
synners  and  of  mysbelievers.*  Godfrey  de  Bouillon,  the  hero 
of  another  cycle,  was  *  moult  preudhomme  et  sage  et  moult 
aymant  Dieu  et  gens  d'esglise,'  as  we  read  in  '  Le  Triomphe 
des  Neuf  Preux  '  (folio,  Abbeville  1487).  Preposterous  tales? 
Perhaps  ;  yet,  as  regards  their  moral  side,  not  suffering  greatly 
by  comparison  with  our  modern  fiction. 

Those  whose  reading  is  confined  to  the  literature  of  to-day 
can  have  no  idea  of  the  influence  which  these  romances  had 
upon  the  lives  of  our  forefathers.  It  was  not  merely  a  system 
of  morality  which  they  taught,  it  was  a  civilisation  of  a  very 
high  order.  When  we  are  inclined  to  mock  at  these 
'  preposterous  tales  '  we  should  never  forget  that  to  them  we 
owe  a  debt  so  immense  that  we  are  lost  in  the  contemplation 
of  it.     It  cannot  be  gainsaid  that  it  was  as  much  by  the  study 


90  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

and  teaching  of  these  romances  as  it  was  by  the  spirit  which 
gave  them  birth,  that  our  ancestors  came  to  mould  their  lives 
in  such  a  sort  as  to  influence  the  civilisation  of  the  whole  of 
the  western  world. 

That  the  romances  were  the  outcome  of  chivalry  cannot 
be  urged,  though  doubtless  in  a  later  age  they  helped  to  keep 
the  spirit  of  knighthood  alive.  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  the 
very  model  of  mediaeval  chivalry,  avowedly  studied  the  ancient 
romances  for  patterns.  When  Pedro  the  Cruel  had  prevailed 
upon  the  prince  to  defend  his  cause,  the  princess  bitterly 
bewailed  her  husband's  decision.  '  I  see  well,'  said  the  prince, 
to  whom  her  expressions  were  related,  '  that  she  wishes  me 
to  be  always  at  her  side  and  never  to  leave  her  chamber.  But 
a  prince  must  be  ready  to  win  renown  and  to  expose  himself 
to  all  kinds  of  danger,  as  in  days  of  old  did  Roland,  Oliver, 
Ogier,  the  four  sons  of  Aimon,  Charlemagne,  the  great  Leon 
de  Bourges,  Juan  de  Tournant,  Lancelot,  Tristan,  Alexander, 
Arthur  and  Godfrey  whose  courage,  bravery,  and  fearlessness, 
both  warlike  and  heroic,  all  the  romances  extoll.  And  by 
Saint  George,  I  will  restore  Spain  to  the  rightful  heir.' 

Occleve,  a  little  later,  has  no  doubt  as  to  the  beneficial 
effects  of  perusing  the  romances.  Indeed  he  goes  so  far  as 
to  exhort  his  friend,  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  to  leave  off  studying 
Holy  Writ,  and  to  read  '  Lancelot  de  lake,  Vegece,  or  the 
Siege  of  Troie  or  Thebes.'  '  What  do  ye  now,'  says  Caxton 
in  *  The  Order  of  Chivalry,'  '  but  go  to  the  baynes  and  playe 
atte  dyse  ?  .  .  .  Leve  this,  leve  it,  and  rede  the  noble  volumes 
of  Saynt  Graal,  of  Lancelot,  of  Galaad,  of  Trystram,  of 
Perseforest,  of  Percyval,  of  Gawayn,  and  many  mo.  Ther 
shalle  ye  see  manhode,  curtosye,  and  gentylnesse.' 

What  other  system  in  this  world  could  have  bestowed  that 
absolute  serenity  of  mind  which  those  who  practised  chivalry 
retained  amid  the  tumults  of  their  life?  The  Saracens, 
abashed  by  the  tranquil  spirit  of  their  royal  prisoner,  Louis  IX., 
mistook  his  hiunility  for  pride.  In  vain  did  they  threaten 
him  with  torture :  the  king  only  replied  '  Je  suis  prisonnier 


Chivalry  and  Romance  91 

du  Sultan,  il  peut  faire  de  moi  a  son  vouloir.'  And  when  at 
last  the  Sultan's  murderer  rushed  into  his  prison,  his  hands 
dripping  with  blood,  and  crying,  *  What  will  you  give  me  for 
having  destroyed  him  who  would  have  put  you  to  death  ?  '  the 
king  was  more  struck  with  horror  at  the  crime  than  with  fear 
for  his  own  safety,  and  remained  motionless,  disdaining  to 
answer.  Thereupon  the  Saracen,  maddened  by  a  tranquillity 
which  he  rightly  attributed  to  the  immense  power  of  Christian 
chivalry,  presented  the  point  of  his  blood-stained  sword  to  the 
king's  breast,  crying,  '  Fais  moi  chevalier,  ou  je  te  tue.' 
'  Fais  toi  Chrestien,'  replied  the  intrepid  king,  '  et  je  te 
ferai  chevalier.' 

We  are  accustomed  nowadays  to  look  upon  chivalry  merely 
as  a  knightly  institution  which  had  to  do  solely  with  tourna- 
ments, banquets,  knight-errantry,  and  the  rescuing  of  encastled 
maidens.  The  modern  acceptance  of  the  term  omits  all  those 
gentle  qualities  of  mind  which  go  to  make  the  true  chivalric 
disposition.  We  associate  chivalry  with  '  fair  play  *  combined 
with  '  manliness ' ;  and  humility  has  no  part  in  it.  Indeed 
it  never  enters  into  our  mind  that  it  was  a  system  of 
'  humanyte,  curtosye,  and  gentylnesse.'  More,  it  was  a 
religion  deeply  ingrained  in  the  hearts  of  men,  a  religion 
which  spread  through  all  grades  of  society,  and  one  which 
consisted  in  the  beatifying  of  the  noblest  qualities  of  human 
nature ;  and  it  has  left  an  indelible  mark  upon  our  national 
character.  Chivalry  is  not  dead  to-day  as  thoughtless  people 
so  often  exclaim ;  it  will  never  die  so  long  as  our  national 
characteristics  endure,  though  to-day  it  passes  under  a 
different  name.  *  Sport '  we  call  it  now,  and  we  pride  our- 
selves in  being  *  sporting  '  even  in  the  hour  of  death — witness 
the  countless  instances  brought  about  by  the  late  great  war. 

Bertrand  du  Guesclin,  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  fearless 
exponents  of  the  chivahic  spirit,  and  the  Black  Prince's  most 
redoubtable  enemy,  fell  at  last  into  the  hands  of  the  English. 
One  day  at  Bordeaux  the  Prince  summoned  him  from  his 
prison,    and    asked   him    how    he    fared.       '  Par    may    foy. 


92  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

monseigneur,'  replied  Bertrand,  '  il  m'ennuye  de  n'entendre 
que  le  chant  des  Souris  de  Bourdeaux ;  je  voudrois  bien  ouyr 
les  Rossignols  de  nostre  pais  '  ;  but  he  added  that  he  loved 
honour  better  than  aught  else  and  never  had  anything  brought 
him  more  glory  than  his  prison,  seeing  that,  as  all  the  other 
prisoners  had  been  ransomed,  he  was  kept  there  only  through 
fear  of  his  prowess.  The  Prince  of  Wales,  touched  in  his 
honour  (or  rather  pride)  at  du  Guesclin's  words,  agreed  to 
liberate  Bertrand  upon  payment  of  seventy  thousand  florins 
of  gold.*  '  But  what  was  more  extraordinary  in  this 
adventure,'  says  a  French  chronicler,  '  was  that  the  Princess 
of  Wales  gave  him  thirty  thousand,  and  Sir  John  Chandos, 
who  had  taken  him  prisoner,  took  upon  himself  to  pay  what 
was  wanting  to  make  the  sum  complete.'  '  Sporting,'  was 
it  not?  Truly  we  are  a  marvellous  race,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  that  other  nations,  from  whom  this  spirit  has  long 
passed  away,  despair  of  ever  being  able  to  understand  us. 

England  has  always  been  the  home  of  chivalry.  La 
Colombiere  in  his  '  Vray  Theatre  d'Honneur  et  de  Chevalerie 
ou  le  Miroir  Heroique  de  la  Noblesse  '  remarks  that  the 
greatest  number  of  the  old  romances  have  been  more 
particularly  employed  in  celebrating  the  valour  of  the  knights 
of  this  kingdom  than  that  of  any  other ;  because,  in  fact, 
they  have  always  loved  such  exercises  in  an  especial  manner. 
'  The  city  of  London,'  writes  Francisco  de  Moraes  in  the 
'  Palmerin  de  Inglaterra,'  '  contained  in  those  days  all,  or  the 
greater  part,  of  the  chivalry  of  the  world.'  In  Perceforest 
a  damozel  says  to  his  companion  '  Sire  chevalier,  I  will  gladly 
parley  with  you  because  you  come  from  Great  Britain ;  it  is 
a  country  which  I  love  well,  for  there  habitually  (coustumiere- 
ment)  is  the  finest  chivalry  in  the  world ;    c'est  le  pays  au 

*  Tt  w.is  quite  a  dramatic  scene.  Bertrand  taunted  the  Prince  until  the 
latter  named  a  sum  ;  and  to  his  surprise  De  Guesclin  at  once  cried  "  Done !  " 
and  all  at  the  table  sprang  to  their  feet.  "  Oh  Sir,"  they  cried  to  the  Prince, 
"  what  have  you  done  !"  "  I  hold  you  to  your  word,"  cried  Du  Guesclin — 
and  so  it  was.  See  Hay  du  Chastelet,  Claude  Menard,  and  other  bio- 
graphers, also  the  Inventaire  des  Chartres,  tome  VI.  (See  also  footnote  on 
page  216.) 


Chivalry  and  Romance  93 

monde,  si  comme  je  croy,  le  plus  remply  des  bas  et  joyeulx 
passetemps  pour  toutes  gentilles  pucelles  et  jeunes  bacheliers 
qui  pretendent  a  honneur  de  chevalerie.'* 

The  entire  cycle  of  legends  which  has  the  Holy  Grail  for 
its  centre  is  concerned  with  Britain  and  Britain  alone. 
Caerleon  and  Winchester,  Tintagel  and  Glastonbury,  these 
are  the  chief  stages  in  this  great  romance  of  perfect  knight- 
hood ;  and  whether  related  by  a  scribe  of  Hainault  in  the 
thirteenth  century  or  sung  by  a  Welsh  bard  before  the  Norman 
Conquest  or  praised  at  the  court  at  Paris  by  the  favourite 
troubadour  of  Philip  Augustus,  it  is  all  one  as  regards  the 
setting  and  the  chief  characters.  '  Whether  for  goodly  men 
or  for  chivalrous  deeds,  for  courtesy  or  for  honour,'  wrote  the 
Norman  chronicler  Wace  in  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century, 
'  in  Arthur's  day  England  bore  the  flower  from  all  the  lands 
near  by,  yea  from  every  other  land  whereof  we  know.  The 
poorest  peasant  in  his  smock  was  a  more  courteous  and  valiant 
gentleman  than  was  a  belted  knight  beyond  the  sea.' 

There  is  a  pleasing  story  which  relates  how  Robert  Bruce, 
marching  with  his  army  in  the  mountains  of  Ireland,  heard  a 
woman  crying  during  one  of  the  halts.  He  inquired  imme- 
diately what  was  the  matter,  and  was  told  that  it  was  a 
camp-follower,  a  poor  laundress,  who  was  taken  in  child-bed ; 
and  as  it  was  impossible  to  take  her  with  them,  she  bemoaned 
her  fate  in  being  left  behind  to  die.  The  king  replied  that 
he  is  no  man  who  will  not  pity  a  woman  then.     He  ordered 

*  This  great  romance  does  not  appear  ever  to  have  been  translated  into 
English,  which  is  somewhat  strange,  for  its  hero,  Perceforest,  was  King  of 
England,  and  we  are  told  at  the  outset  that  the  volume  had  an  English  origin. 
Philippe  Comte  de  Hainault  having  accompanied  Marguerite  daughter  of 
Philippe  III.  (le  hardi)  to  England  in  order  to  be  present  at  her  nuj)tials 
with  Edward  I.  (1299),  the  Count  made  an  excursion  to  the  north  of  England. 
Chancing  to  harbour  at  a  monastery  '  on  the  banks  of  the  Humber,'  he  was 
shown  an  ancient  manuscript  which  had  been  discovered  in  a  vault  under  the 
ancient  (?  Saxon)  part  of  the  building.  One  of  the  monks  had  translated  it 
into  Latin.  Philippe  borrowed  it  and  took  it  back  with  him  to  Hainault, 
where  it  was  reduced  into  French.  It  is  every  whit  as  good  as  the  Morte 
d'Arthur,  and  still  awaits  its  Malory.  The  1531  Paris  edition  consists  of 
six  folio  volumes,  the  page  in  double  columns  of  black  letter  type,  with 
53  lines  to  the  column.  The  whole  book  contains  rather  more  than  six 
hundred  thousand  words.  Here  is  a  chance  for  some  enthusiast !  At  the 
least  he  would  learn  patience,  carefulness — and  a  deal  of  mediaeval  French. 


94  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

that  a  tent  should  be  pitched  for  her  immediately,  and  that 
she  should  be  attended  at  once  by  the  other  women ;  and 
there  he  tarried  his  host  until  she  had  been  delivered  and 
could  be  carried  along  with  them.  *  This,'  says  the  Chronicler, 
'  was  a  full  great  courtesy.*  Chivalry?  In  the  very  highest 
sense  of  the  word. 

We  must  be  careful  lest,  losing  sight  of  the  many  attributes 
of  chivalry,  we  incline  towards  the  erroneous  view  that  it  was 
confined  entirely  to  the  upper  classes.  That  the  manuscript 
volumes  of  the  romantic  tales  which  were  so  eagerly  purchased 
and  treasured  by  the  educated  classes  could  never  possibly 
come  into  the  hands  of  the  rude  illiterate  peasants  is  a 
fallacious  argument.  Scanty  indeed  would  be  our  folk-lore 
had  it  all  been  transmitted  graphically.  Chaucer  bears 
evidence  of  the  widespread  popularity  of  these  heroic  tales 
in  his  day : 

'  Alexaundres  storie  is  so  commune 
That  every  wight  that  hath  discrecioune 
Hath  herde  somewhat  or  al  of  his  fortune.' 

The  incidents  of  these  immortal  tales  were  as  well  known  to 
the  humblest  as  to  the  highest  in  the  land.  We  have  abundant 
evidence  of  their  popularity  when  recounted  in  front  of  the 
fire  in  hostel  or  homestead.  Even  so  late  as  Milton's  day  it 
was  the  custom  to  recount  knightly  adventures  and  fairy  tales 
about  the  evening  fireside.     When 

the  live-long  daylight  fail 
Then  to  the  Spicy  Nut-brown  Ale, 
With  stories  told  of   many  a  feat, 
How  Faery  Mab  the  junkets  eat, 

Where  throngs  of  Knights  and   Barons  bold, 
In  weeds  of  Peace  high  triumphs  hold, 
With  store  of  Ladies,  whose  bright  eyes 
Rain  influence,  and  judge  the  prise, 

until  at  length 

Thus  done  the  Tales,  to  bed  they  creep. 
By   whispering   Winds   soon   luU'd   asleep. 

How  great  a  part  of  the  pleasures  of  this  world  have  they 
missed  whose  pulses  are  never  stirred  by  the  Spirit  of 
Romance !     Content  and  Peace  of  Mind  may  be  had  by  all 


Chivalry  and  Romance  95 

who  will  offer  up  sacrifices  to  obtain  them ;  but  Imagination 
is  not  to  be  had  at  any  price  unless  it  be  a  part  of  our  birth- 
right. Content  may  yield  a  tranquillity  of  mind  that  refreshes 
the  soul,  but  it  is  Imagination  alone  that  can  produce  that 
spiritual  exaltation  which  takes  our  minds  from  worldly  things, 
carries  us  backwards  or  forwards  through  countless  ages  of 
the  past  or  aeons  of  futurity,  and  enables  us  to  ride  in  the 
chariot  of  Phoebus.     It  is  a  vast  library  in  itself. 

'  He  had  small  need  of  books ;  for  many  a  tale 
Traditionary  round  the  mountains  hung, 
And    many    a    legend,    peopling   the    dark    woods, 
Nourished  Imagination  in  her  growth.' 

It  was  the  fortune  of  our  book-hunter  once  to  spend  an 
afternoon  in  June  upon  the  downs  near  Winchester.  To 
southward  of  the  old  town  there  is  a  deep  grassy  hollow, 
crescent-shaped,  its  southern  slope  fringed  with  wood  ;  and 
here  in  the  shade  he  lay  reading  the  '  Morte  d'Arthur  '  of  old 
Malory.  Coming  at  length  to  the  Noble  Tale  of  the 
Sangreal,  he  read  how  King  Arthur,  having  come  *  unto 
Camelot  by  the  houre  of  undorn  on  Whytsonday,'  and  feasting 
with  the  fellowship  of  the  Round  Table,  was  told  of  the  marvel 
wrought  unto  Balin's  sword  by  Merlin. 

You  will  remember  that  Balin  fought  unbeknown  with  his 
brother  Balan,  that  each  wounded  the  other  unto  death,  and 
that  they  were  buried  by  Merlin  in  the  same  tomb.  Then 
Merlin  '  lete  make  by  his  subtylyte  that  Balyn's  swerd  was 
put  in  a  marbel  stone  standyng  up  ryght  as  grete  as  a  mylle 
stone,  and  the  stone  hoved  alweyes  above  the  water,  and 
dyd  many  yeres,  and  so  by  adventure  it  swam  doun  the  streme 
to  the  Cyte  of  Camelot  that  is  in  Englysshe  Wynchestre.' 

To  the  west  the  downs  slope  steeply  into  the  river  valley,. 
and  set  in  the  rich  green  meadows  like  a  skein  of  silver 
threads  the  book-hunter  could  discern  the  Itchen  with  its 
attendant  rivulets.  So  he  gazed  across  to  the  stream  and 
pondered  over  this  marvellous  stone  which  '  hoved  '  always 
above  the  water,  a  sword  set  in  it  so  that  the  pommel  alone 
could  be  seen,  *  and  in  the  porael  therof  were  precyous  stones 


96  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

wrought  with  subtyle  letters  of  gold.'  It  was  the  symbol 
which  was  to  prove  the  youthful  Galahad  the  haut  prince  who 
should  achieve  the  Sangreal. 

That  same  evening,  wandering  along  the  river's  bank  below 
the  city,  his  head  full  of  the  wondrous  tale,  an  adventure 
befell  him.  It  was  dusk,  and  he  had  crossed  the  stream 
at  a  ford,  when  suddenly  he  saw  the  stone.  It  was  lying  upon 
its  side,  not  a  dozen  paces  from  the  water.  There  was  no 
doubt  whatever  about  it.  It  was  roughly  five  feet  long,  about 
half  as  wide  and  thick,  and  of  a  curious  reddish-brown — the 
colour  of  dried  blood. 

'  Sir,'  said  the  squire  who  brought  the  news  to  the  King 
and  his  Knights,  *  there  is  here  bynethe  at  the  Ryver  a  grete 
stone  which  I  saw  fiete  above  the  water,  and  therin  I  sawe 
styckyng  a  swerd.  The  Kynge  sayde,  I  wille  see  that 
marveill.  Soo  all  the  Knyghtes  went  with  hym.  And  whanne 
they  came  unto  the  ryver  they  fonde  there  a  stone  fletyng, 
as  hit  were  of  reed  mar  be  I,  and  therin  stack  a  fair  ryche 
swerd.' 

I  confess  that  not  a  little  awe  was  mingled  with  delight 
as  our  book-hunter  gazed  upon  the  stone,  walked  round  it, 
touched  it !  Then  suddenly  away  in  the  old  city  a  bell  tolled, 
and  he  recollected  that  it  was  Whitsun  Eve !  That  walk  home 
in  the  twilight  was  something  not  easily  to  be  forgotten,  and 
neither  supper  nor  a  pipe  could  bring  him  back  to  earth  and 
the  twentieth  century  again.  Next  morning  he  was  up  early, 
anxious  to  see  if  any  trace  were  left  of  the  spot  where  this 
marvel  had  occurred,  for  it  was  scarcely  possible  that  the 
whole  adventure  was  other  than  a  dream.  But  the  spot  was 
soon  found,  and  sure  enough  there  was  the  stone  or  peron,* 
and  he  could  examine  it  in  the  sunshine  at  his  leisure.  How 
it  got  there  or  whence  it  came  it  were  impossible  to  guess ; 
the  chalk  for  miles  around  contains  nothing  but  flints,  and 
the  peron  was  smooth  and  polished  'as  a  mill-stone.' 

*  O.   Fr.  pier r on. 


Chivalry  and  Romance  97 

That  Winchester  is  not  Camelot  antiquaries  have  told  us 
often  enough.  The  city  of  the  Knights  may  have  been  in 
the  West  Country  or  in  Wales  for  aught  our  bookman  cares  ; 
but  until  they  can  produce  a  likelier  site  and  a  better  peron 
he  will  continue  to  take  Sir  Thomas's  word  for  it. 

One  other  point.  I  have  said  that  the  stone  lay  some  few 
paces  from  the  water.  You  will  notice  when  you  pay  a  pilgrim- 
age to  the  stone  (it  lies  at  the  ford,  hard  by  a  church)  that  the 
ground  about  it  is  almost  level  with  the  water,  so  that  when 
the  river  is  in  flood  the  stone  must  be  almost  submerged :  in 
other  words,  it  would  then  hove  above  the  water.  It  is  easy 
to  see  from  the  bank  on  the  other  side  that  the  river  has 
changed  its  course  by  a  few  yards,  leaving  the  stone  now 
high  and  dry.  If  you  dispute  this,  why  then  I  can  only  say 
that  the  stone,  as  '  by  adventure  it  swam  down  the  stream,* 
must  have  been  cast  there  by  the  river  when  in  flood.  That 
there  is  a  cleft  in  the  stone  whence  Galahad  withdrew  the 
sword  I  can  neither  affirm  nor  deny ;  it  may  have  closed  up, 
for  with  perons  of  this  nature  all  things  are  possible,  or  the 
stone  itself  may  have  got  turned  over.*  At  all  events  I  for 
one  shall  not  be  so  rash  as  to  cast  suspicion  upon  so  historic  a 
relic. 

For  those  materialists  who  doubt  that  such  an  event  ever 
took  place,  I  will  propound  a  theory.  That  the  first  twelve 
books  of  the  '  Morte  d'Arthur '  were  translated  from  the 
French  by  Sir  Thomas  Malory  seems  probable.  Caxton  says 
as  much  in  his  Preface,  and  the  Epilogue  to  Book  XII.  reads, 
*  Here  endeth  the  second  book  of  Syr  Tristram  that  was 
drawen  oute  of  Frensshe  in  to  Englysshe.  But  here  is  no 
rehersal  of  the  thyrd  book.  And  here  foloweth  the  noble 
tale  of  the  Sancgreal  that  called  is  the  hooly  vessel.'  It  has 
been  shownt  that  the  stories  of  the  Holy  Grail  are  probably 
of  Welsh  origin,  and — Sir  Thomas  is  said  to  have  been  a 

*  That  there  is  a  distinct  crack  on  its  upper  side,  you  may  see  from  the 
photograph  here  reproduced. 

t  Sir  J.  Rhys,  'Studies  in  the  Arthurian  Legend,' Oxford,  1891,  pp.  300-327. 


98  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Welshman.  Is  it  possible  that  he  was  ever  at  Winchester, 
that  he  wandered  on  Whitsun  Eve  (as  did  our  book-hunter) 
along  the  Itchen,  that  he  came  to  and  mused  over  the  stone 
(smooth  and  polished  as  a  mill-stone),  so  different  from  any 
to  be  seen  hereabout,  and  that  as  he  wandered  back  to 
Camelot  he  wove  the  delicious  romance  about  it?  At  all 
events,  if  he  were  ever  there,  it  is  at  least  possible  that  the 
spot  was  in  his  mind  when  adapting  the  Welsh  legends  for  his 
book.  Mark  how  well  the  events  which  I  relate  accord  with 
the  topography  of  the  spot.  The  stone  was  '  beneath  at  the 
river,'  the  damozel  who  comes  to  view  the  marvel  *  came 
rydynge  doune  the  ryver  ....  on  a  whyte  palfroy  toward 
them,'  and  there  is  mention  of  the  river  meads.  It  is  hard  to 
believe  that  Sir  Thomas  would  definitely  assert  that  Camelot 

*  is  in  English  Winchester,'  and  make  it  the  chief  scene  of  his 
romance,  had  he  never  visited  the  town. 

The  book  was  finished,  Caxton  tells  us,  '  the  ix  yere  of  the 
reygne  of  king  edward  the  fourth,'  1469 ;  but  was  not 
'  chapytred  and  emprynted  and  fynysshed  in  th' abbey 
Westmestre  '  until  '  the  last  day  of  July  the  yere  of  our  lord 
M.CCCC.LXXXV.,'  1485.  Three  weeks  later  a  fateful  battle 
was  fought — that  of  Bosworth,  which  placed  the  crown  upon 
Harry  Tudor' s  head.  The  facts  that  the  new  king  was  a 
great  benefactor  to  Winchester,  that  he  held  the  castle  to  have 
been  built  by  King  Arthur,  and  that  he  brought  hither  his 
queen  to  be  delivered  of  his  first-born  (whom  he  named 
Arthur),  point  to  something  more  than  a  chance  connection 
between  the  city  and  the  book. 

Henry  Tudor  was  also  a  Welshman,  and  possibly  Malory 
was  of  the  king's  acquaintance,  if  not  actually  of  his  retinue. 
Bale  asserts  that  Malory  was  occupied  with  affairs  of  state. 
But  conclusions  are  dangerous  things.     The  preface  to  the 

*  Morte  d' Arthur '  ascribes  the  ordering  of  the  book  to 
Edward  the  Fourth.  *.  .  .  I  made  a  book  unto  th'excellent 
prynce  and  kyng  of  noble  memorye  kyng  Edward  the  fourth. 
The  sayd  noble  lentylmen  instantly  requyred  me  t'emprynte 


Chivalry  and  Romance  99 

thystorye  of  the  sayd  noble  kyng  and  conquerour  king  Arthur 
and  of  his  knyghtes,  wyth  thystorye  of  the  saynt  greal,  and 
of  the  deth  and  endynge  of  the  sayd  Arthur ;  Affermyng  that 
.  .  .  there  ben  in  frensshe  dyvers  and  many  noble  volumes 
of  his  actes  and  also  of  his  knyghtes.'*  Which  looks  rather 
as  if  Edward  the  Fourth  (who  had  no  reason  to  love  the 
Welsh — ^you  will  remember  that  he  had  beheaded  Owen 
Tudor,  Richmond's  grandfather)  had  heard  of  or  read 
Malory's  work,  and  was  anxious  to  possess  it  in  print,  though 
unwilling  to  credit  it  to  a  follower  of  the  Lancastrian  party. 
It  is  a  pleasant  field  for  surmise,  and,  however  wrongly, 
it  is  good  to  picture  old  Sir  Thomas  strolling  along  those 
pleasant  meads  beside  the  river,  weaving  his  immortal  cycle 
of  tales. 

There  is  a  connection  somewhere  between  Malory  and 
Caxton  too.  In  1469  Malory  finished  his  book,  and  in  March 
of  that  year  Caxton  began  to  translate  le  Fevre's  *  Recueil 
des  Histoires  de  Troyes.'  Where  and  when  did  Malory  meet 
Caxton,  who  lived  for  some  years  about  that  time  at  Bruges, 
discovering  that  they  possessed  the  same  literary  tastes  ?  Did 
Malory  hand  the  manuscript  of  his  work  to  Caxton,  in  the 
service  of  the  Duchess  of  Burgundy,  sister  of  Edward  the 
Fourth,  and  did  the  great  printer  (or  the  Duchess)  show  it 
to  that  king  ?  We  shall  never  know,  and  only  Imagination  can 
fill  the  gap. 

But  to  continue.  It  was  Whitsunday,  and  as  the  last  notes 
of  the  voluntary  echoed  away  among  those  '  antick  pillars 
massy  proof  '  of  the  great  church,  our  book-hunter's  thoughts 
turned  once  more  to  King  Arthur  and  his  knights.  For  was 
it  not  upon  this  very  day  that  the  vision  of  the  Holy  Grail 
was  vouchsafed  to  them  as  they  sat  at  meat  within  the  castle 
hall? 

*  In  the  list  of  books  at  the  Louvre  belonging  to  Charles  v.  of  France, 
drawn  up  by  Gilles  Malet,  his  librarian,  in  1373,  there  is  a  volume  '  Du  roy 
Artus,  de  la  Table  Ronde,  et  de  la  Mort  dudit  roy,  tres  bien  escript  et 
enlumine.'  It  would  be  interesting  to  compare  this  manuscript  (if  it  is  still 
in  existence)  with  Malory's  work,  and  to  see  whether  the  incident  of  the 
peron  is  described  therein. 


100  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

'  And  thenne  the  kynge  and  al  estates  wente  home  unto 
Camelot,  and  soo  wente  to  evensonge  to  the  grete  mynster. 
And  soo  after  upon  that  to  souper.  .  .  .  Thenne  anone  they 
herd  crakynge  and  cryenge  of  thonder,  that  hem  thought  the 
place  shold  alle  to  dryve.  .  .  .  Not  for  thenne  there  was  no 
knyght  myghte  speke  one  word  a  grete  whyle.  .  .  .  Thenne 
ther  entred  in  to  the  halle  the  holy  graile  coverd  with  whyte 
samyte,  but  ther  was  none  myghte  see  hit,*  nor  who  bare 
hit.  .  .  .  And  whan  the  holy  grayle  had  be  borne  thurgh  the 
halle  thenne  the  holy  vessel  departed  sodenly,  that  they 
wyste  not  where  hit  becam :  thenne  had  they  alle  brethe  to 
speke.' 

So  the  man  of  books  climbed  the  hill  and  presently  stood 
within  the  beautiful  hall  with  its  glorious  black  marble  pillars, 
sole  remnant  of  the  ancient  stronghold.  The  round  table 
(barbarously  painted)  now  hangs  upon  the  western  wall,  but 
it  needed  little  imagination  to  picture  it  set  down  in  the  midst, 
covered  with  a  fair  silken  cloth  ('  the  Kynge  yede  unto  the 
syege  Peryllous  and  lyfte  vp  the  clothe,  and  fonde  there  the 
name  of  Galahad  '),  and  on  it  set  rich  flagons  and  dishes, 
strangely  wrought  and  worked  with  precious  stones,  and  all 
about  the  table  the  famous  knights  in  costumes  strange  to 
our  eyes.  .  .  .  Launcelot  upon  the  king's  left.t  now  glancing 
with  fatherly  pride  upon  the  youthful  Galahad  (occupying  the 
Siege  Perilous),  now  smiling  up  at  Queen  Guenevere  seated 
in  the  gallery  with  her  maidens  ....  the  walls  hung  with 
coarse  dull-red  cloth  and  bundles  of  sweet-smelling  herbs 
hanging  here  and  there,  the  floor  strewn  with  fresh  green 
rushes,  gathered  early  that  morning  in  the  meadows  below 
....  by  the  king's  side  a  snow-white  brachet,  a  golden  collar 
about  its  neck  ....  and  so  on  and  so  on.  Imagination 
forsooth!  He  must  be  dull  indeed  who,  reading  the  book 
and  standing  in  the  hall,  cannot  picture  the  scene  for  himself. 

*  i.e  the  golden  vessel,  because  of  the  samite  (silken)  covering. 

t  As  the  table  is  painted  at  present,  '  S.  Galahallt '  is  upon  the  King's  im- 
mediate left. 


Chivalry  and  Romance,  101 

It  is  useless  to  declaim  that  the  great  hall  of  the  castle  was 
not  completed  until  the  time  of  Henry  the  Third,  that  it  did 
not  exist  at  all  before  the  Norman  Conquest,  that  the  castle 
occupied  by  King  Arthur  is  more  likely  to  have  been  on  the 
site  of  the  more  ancient  one  which  stood  near  the  river  (now 
known  as  Wolvesey),  and  that  the  great  round  table  (eighteen 
feet  in  diameter,  of  stout  old  English  oak,  cunningly  bolted 
together)  was  made  during  the  former  king's  reign  and  was 
never  used  by  Arthur  at  all.  What  are  such  crude  exactitudes 
to  us  ?  As  well  object  to  the  heavy  plate-armour  worn  by  the 
knights — everybody  knows  this  to  be  an  anachronism  of  nigh 
a  thousand  years.  Romantic  phantasy  and  scientific  data  are 
as  far  apart  as  the  poles,  and  none  but  a  fool  would  try  to 
reconcile  them.  King  Arthur  feasted  in  the  castle  hall,  says 
Malory,  and  so  far  as  our  book-hunter  is  concerned  he  shall 
feast  there  as  often  and  as  long  as  he  likes. 

There  is  a  romance,  too,  about  the  name  of  this  older  castle. 
Wolvesey  its  scanty  ruins  are  called  to-day,  and  the  anti- 
quarians tell  us  that  this  was  originally  WULF'S  EY,  or 
'  the  wolf's  isle.'  Was  it  once  the  scene  of  a  battue  by  the 
young  bloods  of  the  tribe  to  drive  out  some  wolves  that  had 
established  themselves  there,  a  fierce  fight  with  axes  and 
spears  at  close  quarters  whilst  the  rest  of  the  tribe  lined  the 
opposite  banks  and  prevented  any  escape?  Or  was  it  the 
scene  of  some  homeric  combat  seul  a  seul?  Perhaps  some 
day  a  wolf's  skull  will  be  dug  up  there,  with  a  stone  axe 
sticking  in  it.  But  the  history  of  it  has  gone  for  ever,  had 
gone,  probably,  long  centuries  before  King  Kynegils  found 
it  a  strong  site  for  his  castle. 

It  was  at  Wolvesey  that  King  Alfred  himself  is  said  to  have 
penned  some  part  of  the  Saxon  Chronicle  now  treasured  in 
the  library  of  Corpus  Christi  College,  Cambridge.  He  was 
a  true  book-lover,  this  great  English  king,  and  it  is  to  the 
school  of  illuminators  which  arose  later  in  the  '  new  minster ' 
by  St.  Swithun's  that  we  are  indebted  for  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  examples  of  mediaeval  art  that  have  come  down  to 


102  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

us.  The  Golden  Book  of  Edgax,  Bede's  '  Ecclesiastical 
History  ' — in  the  Cathedral  library — and  the  exquisitely 
illuminated  *  benedictional '  of  St.  .^thelwold  possessed  by 
the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  all  these  were  produced  before  the 
end  of  the  tenth  century  by  the  artists  who  laboured  so 
patiently  in  the  Scriptorium  beside  those  peaceful  meadows. 
For  two  centuries  the  Winchester  school  of  illuminators  was 
renowned  throughout  the  western  world. 

It  is  a  pleasant  spot,  this  ancient  city  of  Camelot,  and  I 
like  to  read  that  among  the  aldermen  who  assembled  at  the 
Tun  Moot  in  bygone  days  were  a  pinder,  a  mole-catcher,  and 
an  ale-conner.  A  stout  fellow,  this  last,  for  without  his 
permission  not  a  single  barrel  of  beer  could  be  broached. 
The  business  transacted  at  the  Moot,  we  are  told,  was  little 
more  than  to  receive  taxes,  provide  for  the  defence  of  the 
city,  and  settle  disputes.  After  which  the  aldermen  (with  the 
permission  of  the  ale-conner,  it  is  to  be  presumed)  proceeded 
to  consume  the  ale  allowed  to  them  by  custom  immemorial 
at  the  rate  of  two  gallons  a  man  at  each  sitting.  0  tempora, 
O  mores! 

At  one  time,  however,  that  kill-joy  Edgar  came  near  to 
causing  an  insurrection,  for  he  ordained  that  all  drinking-horns 
should  have  pegs  set  in  them  at  regular  intervals  and  that 
no  man  might  drink  below  his  peg.  Thus  were  practically 
abolished  those  friendly  drinking-bouts  between  Danes  and 
English  that  did  so  much  to  rid  the  town  of  its  northern 
intruders.  F I  or  eat  Wintonia,  and  may  it  stand  for  ever  to 
book-lovers  and  lovers  of  romance  as  the  ideal  of  all  that  is 
knightly  and  kingly  and  romantic — and  hospitable. 

It  is  to  be  feared,  however,  that  the  Spirit  of  Romance  is 
now  moribund — if,  indeed,  it  has  not  already  passed  away ; 
and  with  it  we  are  losing  one  of  the  most  ennobling  qualities 
in  our  nature.  We  pride  ourselves  nowadays  in  living  in  a 
'  matter-of-fact '  age,  by  which  we  mean  a  practical, 
unromantic  age.  But  is  it  a  matter  for  so  much  pride  after 
all?     Granted  that  the  benefits  which  have  accrued  to  man- 


Chivalry  and  Romance  103 

kind  during  the  past  century  and  a  half  are  worth  all  the 
Romance  in  the  world ;  but  is  the  relegation  of  Romance  to 
the  domain  of  History  a  sine  qua  non  so  far  as  progress  is 
concerned?  In  our  haste  to  get  on  we  have  tried  to  drive 
Romance  and  Progress  in  tandem,  with  steady-going  Progress 
in  the  shafts ;  but  having  found  that  together  they  need 
skilful  handling,  we  have  unharnessed  the  leader  and  hitched 
him  on  behind,  to  be  dragged  along  anyhow  in  our  wake. 

There  must  be  many  who  regard  the  loss  of  romantic  ideals 
as  a  matter  for  more  than  passing  regret.  Reverence,  too, 
not  only  for  our  elders  and  betters  but  even  for  the  great 
works  of  our  predecessors,  is  going  the  way  of  its  cousin, 
Romance.  Recently,  rambling  over  the  Hampshire  downs, 
our  bookman  toiled  up  the  grassy  bosom  of  this  rolling  land 
to  a  still  loftier  height  whence  on  a  clear  day  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
nigh  thirty  miles  away,  can  be  distinguished.  As  he  neared 
the  top  a  mound  came  into  view,  one  of  those  unmistakable 
monuments  raised  o'er  the  graves  of  the  great  chieftains  of 
our  ancient  race.  It  was  a  most  impressive  spot,  the  highest 
point  for  many  miles  round,  and  the  book-hunter  wondered 
who  he  was  that  lay  there  in  solemn  majesty  keeping  watch 
through  the  long  centuries  over  the  land  that  once  was  his. 
On  approaching  closer  the  wayfarer  was  horrified  to  see  that 
on  the  top  of  the  mound,  in  the  centre,  there  was  a  deep  hole. 
Its  import  was  obvious.  The  mortal  remains  of  one  who 
had  lain  for  centuries  in  a  grandeur  befitting  his  lordly  rank 
had  been  torn  from  their  sepulchre,  probably  by  some 
irreverent  commoner,  and  were  now  doubtless  exhibited  to 
the  vulgar  gaze,  in  a  glass  case. 

Doubtless  the  ghoul  (for  he  that  rifles  tombs  is  none  other) 
who  perpetrated  this  enormity  described  himself  as  an 
archaeologist.  Possibly  he  was  of  gentle  birth  and  had 
received  a  University  education.  If  so,  so  much  the  greater 
his  crime,  for  he  could  not  plead  ignorance.  Surely  no 
seriously  minded  person  can  urge  that  the  knowledge  thus 
gained  as  to  ancient  methods  of  burial,  age  of  the  remains, 


104  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

and  so  on,  warranted  such  sacrilege.*  We  can  only  hope  that 
the  chieftain  was  granted  five  minutes  with  the  archaeologist 
when  that  individual  at  length  entered  the  land  of  shadows. 
Doubtless  the  archaeologist  had  no  qualms  whatever,  and 
slept  soundly  in  the  belief  that  by  his  '  researches  '  he  had 
wrought  great  things  for  mankind ;  but  when  he  encountered 
the  chieftain  it  is  unlikely  that  they  would  see  eye  to  eye. 
'  Happy  are  they  who  deal  so  with  men  in  this  world  that 
they  are  not  afraid  to  meet  them  in  the  next,*  and  happier 
still  are  they  who  deal  so  reverently  with  the  earthly  memorials 
of  the  dead,  that  there  may  be  many  to  speak  in  their  favour 
when  they  approach  the  Great  Tribunal. 

This  particular  form  of  irreverence,  however,  has  been  a 
byword  throughout  all  the  ages ;  civilisation  and  education 
have  done  little  to  check  it,  possibly  because  the  romantic 
spirit  which  forbids  such  crimes  is  bom,  not  made.  King 
Arthur's  bones  were  dug  up  in  the  twelfth  century.  '  Mummie 
is  become  Merchandise,  Mizraim  cures  wounds,  and  Pharoah 
is  sold  for  balsoms,'  wrote  Sir  Thomas  Browne  five  hundred 
years  later.  In  1788  the  massive  stone  coffin  which  held  the 
remains  of  our  illustrious  King  Alfred  was  discovered  facing 
the  High  Altar  at  Hyde  Abbey,  Winchester,  whither  they 
had  been  translated  in  1110.  The  coffin  was  broken  in  pieces, 
the  bones  found  in  it  were  scattered,  and  the  lead  enveloping 
the  remains  was  sold  by  the  workmen.  A  stone  from  the 
wrecked  tomb,  bearing  the  name  .ALFRED,  was  carried  off 
to  Cumberland  as  a  curio.  Hyde  Abbey  was  razed  to  make 
way  for  a  county  Bridewell.  '  At  almost  every  stroke  of  the 
mattock,'  relates  an  eye-witness,  '  some  antient  sepulchre  or 
other  was  violated.'  Examples  of  such  desecrations  can  be 
multiplied  without  number.  The  Great  Alaric  was  wise 
indeed  when  he  had  the  course  of  a  river  changed  so  that  his 


*  Of  one  of  these  enterprising  antiquaries  (a  clergyman)  it  is  proudly 
related  that  in  the  course  of  three  years  "  he  opened  no  less  than  a  hundred 
and  six  tumuli  and  graves,  and  obtained  from  them  a  large  proportion  of  that 
valuable  collection  of  antiquities  now  in  possession  of  Mr.  Meyer,  of  Liver- 
pool."    See  A  Corner  of  Kent,  by  J.  R.  Planch^,  1864,  page  115. 


X 

c 
Jt 

w 
X 

O  '' 


^ 


Chivalry  and  Romance  105 

bones,  when  lying  at  the  bottom  of  it,  might  never  be 
disturbed. 

Our  ancient  laws  dealt  sternly  with  this  matter.  '  If  any 
man  shall  dig  up  a  body  that  has  already  been  buried,'  ruled 
Henry  the  First,  '  he  shall  be  WARGUS,'  that  is,  banished 
from  his  district  as  a  rogue.  *  Malice  provoketh  not  to  dig  up 
tombes  and  graves,'  wrote  an  unknown  Elizabethan  scholar, 
commenting  on  this  ;  *  and  though  it  should,  yet  religion  doth 
now  restraine  it,  by  reason  it  is  counted  sacriledge  to  violate 
anythinge  in  churches  or  churchyards.  Covetousness  made 
some  to  dig  up  the  dead,  because  ornaments,  jewels,  or  money, 
were  in  times  past  buried  with  many ;  but  now  that  custome 
seasing,  no  man  for  desire  of  gaine  is  invited  to  commit  this 
offence,  and  it  now  being  generally  reputed  a  most  vile  acte, 
no  man  will  presume  to  transgresse  these  lawes,  and  every 
man  is  a  law  to  himself  therein.'  But  in  this  '  enlightened ' 
age,  when  we  are  held  to  be  above  the  need  of  such  legislation, 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  archaeologist  from  practising 
his  hobby  where  and  when  he  please — so  long  as  he  avoids 
the  churchyards.  '  Tush,'  he  cries,  '  here  lies  an  ancient 
heathen  who  was  not  even  buried  in  consecrated  ground.  We 
may  find  some  curious  relics  buried  with  him.  Up  with  his 
bones.' 

'  Freedom  for  all  men  '  may  be  a  glorious  motto,  yet  when 
we  view  these  crimes  (and  the  carved  initials  which  deface 
so  many  of  our  most  sacred  monuments)  we  cannot  but  muse 
that  there  are  many  who  should  never  be  free — at  least  from 
the  restraint  of  discipline.  *  None  can  love  freedom  heartily, 
but  good  men:  the  rest  love  not  freedom,  but  licence.'* 

*  Milton. 


CHAPTER    V 


THE  CARE  OF  BOOKS 


*  Wher  so  ever  y  be  come  over  all 
I  belonge  to  the  Chai)ell  of  gunvylle  hall ; 
He  shal  be  cursed  by  the  grate  sentens 
That  felonsly  faryth  and  berith  me  thens. 
And  whether  he  bere  me  in  pooke  or  sekke 
For  me  he  shall  be  hanged  by  the  nekke, 
(I  am  so  well  beknown  of  dy verse  men) 
But  I  be  restored  theder  agen.' 

[Written  in  a  breviary  in  the  Library 
of  Gonville  and  Caius  College.) 

HEREIN  lies  the  charm  of  an  old  book? 
In  its  contents?  Not  altogether,  for  then 
would  the  reprint  be  just  as  acceptable ; 
perhaps  more  so,  for  it  would  be  possibly 
more  legible,  probably  cleaner,  certainly  in 
a  more  convenient  shape.  In  its  scarcity, 
Partly,  perhaps ;  yet  not  necessarily,  for  there  are 
old  '  books  that  are  always  eagerly  bought  up  by 
collectors,  though  quite  frequent  in  occurrence.  Then  wherein 
lies  the  old  book's  charm?     It  is  chiefly  in  its  appearance. 

It  is  the  spiritual  appearance  rather  than  the  material 
aspect  of  a  book,  however,  that  draws  the  book-lover  to  it. 
To  the  true  bibliophile  there  is  an  intangible  something  about 
an  old  book  which  it  is  impossible  to  describe.  That  this 
feeling  is  closely  akin  to  the  impressive  influence  of  antiquity 
there  can  be  no  doubt ;  for  you  may  prove  it  by  taking  your 
book-lover  successively  to  a  modern  free  library  and  to  a 


then? 
many 


The  Care  of  Books  107 

collection  of  ancient  books,  and  noting  carefully  his  expression 
in  each.  Though  he  be  surrounded  by  thousands  of  volumes 
issued  from  the  press  during  the  last  half-century,  rich  and 
luxurious  works  even,  yet  the  probability  is  that  he  will  be 
merely  bored.  But  watch  him  as  he  stands  before  the  thick 
oak  shelves  eagerly  scrutinising  the  dim  lettering  on  ancient 
calf  and  vellum  back !  See  how  his  eye  flashes  as  he  takes 
down  an  ancient  quarto,  gently  and  reverently  lest  the  head- 
band be  grown  weak  with  age,  and,  carefully  blowing  the 
dust  from  its  top  edge,  turns  eagerly  to  title-page  and 
colophon ! 

And  this  feeling  is  not  influenced  by  the  surroundings 
which  one  is  accustomed  to  associate  with  old  books.  Whether 
they  be  in  a  cathedral  or  college  library,  in  a  bookshop  or  the 
most  modern  of  cases,  it  is  all  one  to  your  true  collector.  It 
is  the  books  and  the  books  only  about  which  he  cares.  No 
sooner  does  he  feel  the  ancient  tome  within  his  hands  than 
his  soul  is  borne  rapidly  away  upon  the  wings  of  fancy,  far 
far  back  into  the  dim  ages,  high  above  all  worldly  considera- 
tions ;  caring,  understanding,  feeling,  in  tune  with  the  magic 
so  wondrously  locked  up  in  this  ancient  volume,  to  which  his 
love  of  books  alone  has  provided  the  key. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  he  is  impressed,  for  the  soul  of  the 
true  book-collector  is  ever  in  communion  with  the  manes  of 
those  who  gave  birth  to  his  books.  He  is  brother  to  author, 
paper-maker,  compositor,  publisher,  and  binder,  understanding 
all  their  hopes,  doubts,  and  fears,  in  sympathy  with  all  the 
thoughts  that  gave  his  volumes  their  shape,  size,  and 
appearance.  Have  you  not  often  realised,  brother  collector, 
the  spirit  that  is  hidden  in  every  old  book,  the  concentrated 
thoughts  that  have  been  materialised  in  giving  it  birth? 
Surely  thoughts  never  die.  *  Our  thoughts  are  heard  in 
heaven '  wrote  a  neglected  poet,  and  are  not  books 
'  sepulchres  of  thought '  ? 

Happier  is  the  book-collector  than  he  who  acquires  ancient 
pieces  of  furniture,  old  vases,  or  pewter  mugs.     For,  unlike 


108  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  old  book,  these  things  can  be  reproduced  in  facsimile  so 
that  you  may  not  tell  the  difference  between  old  and  new, 
and  the  reproduction  may  be  stronger  and  more  serviceable 
than  the  original.  Moreover  he  is  not  troubled  with  qualms 
as  to  their  genuineness,  undergoing  agonies  of  apprehension 
while  each  treasure — or  otherwise — is  submitted  to  the 
scrutiny  of  friends  and  experts. 

There  is  a  lasting  charm  about  a  book  of  our  choice  which 
the  antique-collector  can  never  hope  to  experience.  His 
treasure  may  be  grotesque  or  it  may  be  beautiful,  in  either 
case  it  may  please  the  eye  every  time  that  he  behold  it, 
through  many  years.  But  beyond  pleasure  to  the  eye  and 
perhaps  a  smug  complacency  in  its  possession,  there  is  nothing 
else.  He  knows  it  inside-out,  as  it  were,  within  a  few  minutes 
of  its  acquisition.  Very  different,  however,  is  the  case  with 
a  book.  After  the  attraction  exercised  by  its  ancient 
appearance,  the  exterior  aspect  is  in  reality  but  a  secondary 
consideration,  and  when  we  have  expressed  ourselves  as  to 
whether  it  be  a  fine  or  a  poor  copy,  we  turn  at  once  to  its 
contents.  The  very  wording  of  the  title-page  gives  us  an 
inkling  of  the  writer's  character,  places  us  upon  his  plane,  and 
tunes  our  thoughts  in  harmony  with  his. 

What  book-lover  does  not  sympathise  with  that  great  man 
Lenglet  du  Fresnoy?  Perhaps  few  men  have  come  so 
completely  under  the  spell  of  books  ;  for  he  devoted  a  long 
life  entirely  to  consuming  the  fruits  of  the  master  minds  that 
had  gone  before  him.  In  spite  of  the  gossip  concerning  him, 
not  always  to  his  credit,  that  has  come  down  to  us,  it  is 
undeniable  that  by  sheer  love  and  knowledge  of  books  he 
piled  up  a  monument  that  will  ever  keep  his  name  in  memory 
among  bibliophiles  for  he  is  numbered  with  such  giants  as 
Hain,  Brunet,  and  Lowndes.  The  *  Methode  pour  etudier 
I'Histoire  '  alone  is  sufficient  to  show  his  extraordinary  know- 
ledge of  books ;  indeed,  they  were  the  very  inspirers  of  his 
being  and  though  his  paths  led  him  to  high  places,  *  a  passion 
for  study  for  ever  crushed  the  worm  of  ambition.'     Having 


The  Care  of  Books  109 

spent  the  greater  part  of  his  eighty-two  years  among  old 
books,  it  was  a  modern  one  which  caused  his  end ;  for, 
slumbering  over  its  dulness,  he  fell  into  the  fire  and  was 
burned  to  death! 

It  is  said  of  him  that  he  refused  all  the  conveniences  offered 
by  a  rich  sister,  that  he  might  not  endure  the  restraint  of  a 
settled  dinner-hour ;  preferring  to  browse  undisturbed  among 
his  beloved  tomes.  His  immense  knowledge  of  ancient  books 
is  shown  by  the  vast  number  of  diverse  works  which  he  wrote 
and  edited  ;  but  so  forcible  and  controversial  were  his  writings 
that  he  was  sent  to  the  Bastille  some  ten  or  twelve  times. 
It  is  even  related  of  him  that  he  got  to  know  the  prison  so 
well,  that  when  Tapin  (one  of  the  guards  who  usually 
conducted  him  thither)  entered  his  chamber,  he  did  not  wait 
to  hear  his  commission  but  began  himself  by  saying  '  Ah ! 
Bonjour,  Monsieur  Tapin,'  then  turning  to  the  woman  who 
waited  on  him,  '  Aliens  vite,  mon  petit  paquet,  du  linge  et 
du  tabac,'  and  went  along  gaily  with  M.  Tapin  to  the  Bastille. 
Verily  the  true  bibliophile  is  not  as  other  men,  and  a  modern 
world  looks  upon  him  askance.  Yet  his  portion  is  a  happiness 
that  riches  cannot  purchase,  for  his  soul  has  found  lasting 
comfort  and  contentment  in  a  knowledge  of  the  innermost 
recesses  of  human  thought.  There  is  no  aspect  or  phase  of 
the  human  mind  with  which  he  is  unacquainted  ;  and  it  is  a 
knowledge  that  books  alone  can  impart. 

Yet  our  true  book-lover  is  not  of  those  whose  very  religion 
is  the  preservation  of  the  pristine  appearance  of  their  books, 
who  deem  it  sacrilege  to  destroy  one  jot  of  the  contemporary 
leather  in  which  their  treasures  are  clothed :  liking  rather  to 
glue,  varnish,  and  patch,  preferring  even  a  grotesque  effect 
rather  than  sacrifice  an  inch  of  decayed  calf.  Their  point  of 
view  is  wholly  admirable :  that  the  only  form  in  which  we  are 
justified  in  possessing  a  book  is  that  in  which  it  was  originally 
issued  to  the  world  :  that  the  men  who  bestowed  great  thought 
in  giving  it  birth,  to  wit,  author  and  publisher,  know  better 
what  is  meet  smd  seemly  for  it  than  can  any  man  of  a  different 


110  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

age  :  that  one  man's  choice  is  another  man's  abhorrence  :  and 
so  on,  and  so  on.  Granted  these  things  are  so ;  but  surely 
he  who  possesses  the  volume  may  have  some  say  in  its 
appearance,  since  it  exists  upon  his  shelf  solely  for  his  own 
delight  and  for  no  other  man's? 

'  It  is  mine,'  says  Praktikos,  '  may  I  not  clothe  it  in  the 
colours  of  the  rainbow  if  it  please  me  ?  ' 

'  Then  you  are  a  vandal,'  replies  Phulax,  '  for  you  will 
ruin  your  book,  and  it  will  not  be  worth  ten  shillings  when 
it  returns  from  the  binder.' 

And  there's  the  rub :  rebind  your  book  and — in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten — you  will  lower  its  market  value.  Therefore,  if 
the  book-collector  have  any  eye  to  the  purely  commercial  value 
of  his  library,  he  will  do  well  to  become  an  '  original-boards- 
uncut  '  man  at  once.  Handsome  his  library  will  never  be, 
for  here  there  will  be  a  whole  set  of  paper-bound  volumes 
lacking  backs,  here  a  folio  strangely  patched  and  mended, 
there  a  book  in  rather  dirty  vellum  somewhat  cockled  by 
damp,  and  so  on.  But  he  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  his  volumes  retain,  in  their  appearance  at  least,  something 
of  the  spirit  of  the  time  in  which  they  first  saw  light.  Perhaps 
they  will  create  for  him  the  more  easily  that  stimulating  yet 
peaceful  atmosphere  imparted  by  a  collection  of  old  books. 

Is  there  not,  then,  any  alternative  to  preserving  one's 
volumes  in  a  disreputable  condition?  Assuredly  there  is — 
there  are  two  alternatives.  Either  the  collector  will  be  so 
wise  (and,  incidentally,  so  wealthy)  as  never  to  purchase  a 
dilapidated  book,  or  else  he  must  exercise  great  common 
sense  and  much  good  taste,  putting  fancy  entirely  to  one  side. 

You  possess  a  copy  of  Cotton's  translation  of  the  Com- 
mentaries of  Messire  Blaize  de  Montluc,  folio  1674.  It  is  a 
good,  clean,  tall  copy,  but  clothed  in  tattered  contemporary 
brown  calf.  Half  of  the  back  is  missing,  two  of  the  corners 
are  badly  broken,  and  a  piece  of  the  leather  upon  the  under 
cover  is  torn  off.  Perchance  you  elect  to  send  it  to  your 
binder,  with  strict  instructions  that  it  is  to  be  repaired  with 


The  Care  of  Books  111 

plain  calf.  In  due  course  the  volume  is  returned  to  you,  and 
it  now  presents  a  fearful  and  marvellous  appearance.  It  is  the 
proud  possessor  of  a  new  back,  nearly  but  not  quite  matching 
the  sides  in  colour,  and  upon  this  the  remaining  upper 
half  of  the  original  back  has  been  pasted.  The  corners  bulge 
strangely,  and  you  can  discern  new  leather  underneath  the 
old  and  wherever  the  old  was  deficient.  The  sides  shine  with 
polishing,  and  a  patch — again  not  quite  matching  the  original, 
for  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  do  this — has  been  inserted  on 
the  under  cover.  The  whole  volume  shines  unnaturally,  and 
has  rather  a  piebald  appearance.  In  short,  it  reminds  one  of 
Bardolph's  face — '  all  bubukles  and  whelks  and  knobs.' 

But  perchance  you  possess  another  copy  in  precisely  the 
same  condition  inside  and  out,  and  this  you  have  decided  must 
be  rebound.  It  goes  to  your  binder,  always  with  your  very 
definite  instructions,  and  in  due  course  returns,  modestly 
attired  in  morocco  of,  let  us  say,  a  dark  sage-green  hue.  On 
each  side  there  is  a  plain  double  panel,  *  blind  *  tooled ;  the 
back  is  simply  lettered 

BLAIZE 

DE 

MONTLUC 

and  there  are  *  blind  '  lines  at  the  sides  of  each  band ;  but, 
beyond  the  lettering,  there  is  no  gilding  whatever  on  the 
back.  The  edges  have  not  been  trimmed,  much  less  cut, 
but  have  been  left  precisely  as  they  were  originally. 

Suppose  now  for  an  instant  that  you  do  not  possess  either 
copy,  but  that  both  are  offered  to  you  by  a  bookseller  at 
precisely  the  same  price.  What  will  be  your  feelings  as  you 
handle  the  repaired  copy  ?  It  is  more  than  probable  that  you 
will  sigh  '  Poor  thing  '  as  you  open  it  gently  for  fear  of 
cracking  the  old  piece  pasted  on  to  the  back.  But,  '  What  n 
nice  clean  copy  '  you  will  say  as  you  take  up  the  other ;  and 
it  is  improbable  that  you  will  hesitate  long  in  making  choice. 

The  repairing  of  moderately  old  bindings  is  an  excellent 
thing  so  long  as  it  is  not  carried  to  extremes.       Obviously 


112  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

there  are  many  cases  where  it  would  be  sheer  foohshness  to 
rebind  the  volume,  slight  repairs  ai  the  hands  of  an 
experienced  binder  being  all  that  is  necessary  to  enable  the 
book  to  be  described  as  a  fifie,  tall,  clean  copy,  in  the  original 
binding,  neatly  repaired.  And  this  is  where  one's  carefully 
■considered  judgment  and  good  taste  must  be  exercised. 

But  advice  is  easier  to  give  than  to  follow.  If  our  purse 
be  a  slender  one,  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  confine  our 
purchases  to  perfect  copies  in  choice  condition.  And  so  it  is 
unavoidable  that  a  certain  number  of  our  volumes  should  be 
in  a  more  or  less  dilapidated  state.  A  book  that  we  have  long 
sought  for  crops  up ;  it  is  a  perfect  copy,  more  or  less  clean 
inside,  but  in  a  sad  state  of  decay  as  regards  the  binding.  On 
this  account  it  is  offered  to  us  at  one-half  the  price  which  a 
sound  copy  would  fetch,  perhaps  even  less.  Of  course  we  buy 
it,  and  many  others  like  it ;  so  that  at  length  we  are  faced 
with  the  choice  between  a  formidable  binder's  bill  and  the 
alternative  of  harbouring  a  collection  of  wrecks. 

This  temptation  to  acquire  imperfect  books  and  poor  copies 
is  a  most  insidious  one,  and  few  collectors  can  withstand  it 
altogether.  Andrew  Lang,  than  whom  there  was  never  a 
more  genuine  book-lover,  seems  to  have  been  as  susceptible 
as  most  of  us.  *  I  believe  no  man,'  he  writes  in  *  Books  and 
Bookmen,'  *  has  a  hbrary  so  rich  in  imperfect  works  as  the 
author  of  these  pages.'  Yet  although  the  purchasing  of  a 
volume  in  a  state  of  decay  (externally,  that  is)  is  sometimes 
unavoidable,  it  should  be  every  collector's  endeavour,  however 
modest  his  means,  to  avoid  buying  dilapidated  books.  If  a 
book  be  at  all  frequent  in  occurrence  it  is  far  better  to  bide 
our  time  until  a  better  copy  turns  up,  even  though  we  may 
have  to  pay  a  few  shillings  more  for  it,  than  to  rest  content 
with  the  possession  of  a  sorry  example  in  which  we  can  take 
no  pride,  and  one  that  will  never  be  worth  a  penny  more  than 
we  gave  for  it  until  it  has  passed  through  the  binder's  hands. 
Remember  also  that  although  the  choicest  binder  in  Europe 
may  lavish  his  art  upon  our  volume,  yet  a  taller  and  cleaner 


The  Care  of  Books  113 

copy  in  the  original,  or  contemporary,  binding,  and  in  perfect 
condition,  will  ever  command  a  better  price  in  the  sale-room. 
Our  choice  in  binding — however  appropriate  to  the  book — 
may  not  be  the  choice  of  him  who  next  possesses  the  volume. 
As  an  example  of  this  discretion  which  one  must  exercise  in 
rebinding  one's  volumes,  here  is  an  incident  that  occurred  in 
a  London  sale-room  a  few  years  ago.  A  copy  of  Jane 
Austen's  *  Mansfield  Park  '  in  three  volumes,  1814,  was  put 
up  for  auction  and  realised  £20.  It  was  bound  in  boards  and 
was  entirely  uncut.  Nevertheless  it  was  not  in  the  original 
binding,  but  it  had  been  rebound  in  precisely  the  same  style 
as  that  in  which  it  was  originally  published.  The  paper  labels 
had  been  reprinted  in  facsimile,  and  the  edges  had  not  been 
tampered  with  in  any  respect,  not  even  '  trimmed.'  The  best 
price  that  had  been  realised  previously  for  an  uncut  copy  in 
the  original  boards  was  £18  10s. 

The  owner  was  indeed  wise  in  his  generation.  Had  he 
sent  the  volumes  to  his  binder  to  be  bound  in  full  morocco 
'  extra,'  at  a  cost  of,  perhaps,  twenty  shillings  apiece,  the  work 
would  have  realised,  probably,  seven  or  eight  pounds.  But 
by  good  judgment  (and,  in  the  writer's  opinion  at  least,  good 
taste)  his  expenditure  would  not  exceed  fifteen  shillings  for 
the  three,  his  profit  being  four  times  as  great.  Not  long  ago 
two  copies  of  the  first  edition  of  Keats'  '  Endymion  '  appeared 
at  an  auction-sale  in  London.  Both  were  '  uncut,'  but  one 
was  in  the  original  form  in  which  it  issued  from  the  press,  the 
other  was  bound  in  morocco.  The  former  realised  £41,  the 
latter  £17,  5s.     Dictum  sapienti  sat  est. 

Old  books,  by  which  I  intend  sixteenth  and  early 
seventeenth  century  volumes,  are  always  best  left  alone  as 
regai-ds  the  binding.  If  they  be  at  all  dilapidated,  it  is  as 
well  to  have  a  case*  made  for  them  which  can  be  lettered  on 


*  With  regard  to  these  cases,  the  collector  will  use  his  own  judgment  as  to 
whether  they  be  of  the  '  slip-in '  variety,  by  which  means  the  binding  is 
rubbed  every  time  that  he  withdraws  and  inserts  his  volume  ;  whether  such 
cases  be  lined  with  velvet,  and  roomy  enough  to  obviate  this  friction ;  or 
whether  thev  shall  open  with  a  flap  at  the  side. 


114  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  back,  and  they  can  then  stand  upon  the  shelf  among  one's 
other  books.  Nothing  is  more  unseemly  and  incongruous 
than  an  ancient  volume  in  a  modern  cover,  and,  try  as  the 
most  skilful  binder  may,  it  is  impossible  to  imitate  an  ancient 
binding  so  closely  as  to  deceive  the  eye  even  momentarily. 
Do  not  seek  to  make  them  presentable  by  patching  and 
repairing,  unless  they  be  too  far  gone  for  their  value  to  be 
of  any  consideration. 

In  the  case  of  early-printed  books  and  works  of  great  rarity, 
never,  upon  any  account,  tamper  with  your  copy  or  seek  to 
improve  it  in  any  way.  Not  only,  as  I  have  said,  is  it  quite 
impossible  to  impart  a  contemporary  appearance  to  a 
fifteenth-century  book  however  famous  and  skilful  the  binder, 
but  age  leaves  its  mark  upon  the  constitutions  of  books  as 
surely  as  it  does  upon  mankind.  No  volume  of  that  age  will 
stand  the  handling  of  a  casual  reader,  still  less  the  pulling, 
patting,  and  pressing  that  re-sewing  and  re-covering 
necessitate,  however  gently  such  processes  be  carried  out. 

There  is  a  terrible  story  (I  hope  it  is  untrue)  told  of  a 
certain  peer  who  decided  to  send  to  the  auction-room  the  six 
or  seven  Caxtons  which  had  descended  to  him  with  a  noble 
library  from  his  ancestors.  As,  however,  the  volumes  were 
bound  in  fifteenth-century  sheepskin  (probably  in  Caxton's 
house)  he  thought  that  their  appearance  would  be  rendered 
rather  more  attractive  if  they  were  rebound  first  of  all.  So  he 
sent  them  forthwith  to  the  local  binder ;  and  on  their  return, 
now  gorgeously  clothed  in  '  calf  gilt  extra  '  (a  la  school  prize), 
he  despatched  them  to  the  London  sale-room.  The  result  may 
be  imagined.  His  foolishness  must  have  robbed  him  of  a 
sum  running  well  into  four  figures ! 

There  is  another  point  also  to  be  considered,  and  that  is  the 
pedigree  of  a  volume.  The  solitary  impression  of  a  binder's 
tool  upon  a  fragment  of  binding  may  identify  a  volume  and 
its  previous  owners.  Some  years  ago  the  writer  purchased 
an  ancient  folio  without  title-page  and  colophon,  bound  in 
tattered  fragments  of  ancient  calf  covering  stout  oak  boards. 


The  Care  of  Books  115 

There  was,  apparently,  nothing  to  indicate  when,  where,  or 
by  whom  the  volume  was  printed  or  bound,  or  whence  it  came. 
But  from  a  certain  peculiarity  in  the  type  (which  he  noticed 
when  studying  the  early  printers  of  Niirnberg)  he  now  knows 
the  name  of  the  printer  and  the  town  in  which  he  pHed  his 
trade ;  while  from  a  certain  woodcut  which  that  printer  used 
also  in  two  other  dated  works  only,  both  printed  the  same 
year,  he  discovered  when  the  volume  in  all  probability  was 
printed. 

A  scrutiny  of  the  remains  of  the  binding  revealed  the  blind 
impressions  of  four  different  stamps.  As  these  occur  frequently 
in  conjunction  upon  the  bindings  executed  by  the  monks  at  a 
certain  monastery  in  Germany  in  the  sixteenth  century,  there 
is  little  difficulty  in  assigning  a  provenance  to  the  volume. 
Furthermore  the  initial  H  in  a  heart-shaped  impression 
identifies  the  binder  as  a  monk  whose  initials  H.G.  (on  two 
heart-shaped  tools)  are  of  frequent  occurrence  on  contemporary 
volumes  at  that  time  in  the  possession  of  the  monastery. 

Needless  to  say,  it  has  not  been  rebound.  The  tattered 
pieces  of  skin  have  been  carefully  pasted  down,  and  a  case — 
lettered  on  the  back — now  contains  the  book  upon  his  shelf.* 

In  the  case,  however,  of  more  recent  books  bound  in  tattered 
or  perished  calf,  books  of  which  one  may  obtain  duplicates  at 
any  time,  except  they  be  works  of  extreme  value  there  is  no 
reason  why  they  should  not  be  re-bound.  Even  here,  however, 


*  If  you  are  interested  in  the  pedigrees  of  your  volumes  (by  which  we  mean 
the  identification  of  their  previous  owners)  you  will  find  M.  Guigard's  '  Nouvel 
Armorial  du  Bibliophile,'  octavo,  Paris,  1890,  useful  where  armorial  bindinjjs 
are  concerned.  It  is  an  interesting  volume,  and  appeared  first  of  all  in  four 
parts  (large  octavo,  Paris),  between  1870  and  1872.  There  are  cuts  of  every 
coat  of  arms  identified,  but  these  are  almost  entirely  French.  Mr.  Cyril 
Davenport's  '  English  Heraldic  Book-stamps '  was  published  in  large  octavo, 
in  1909.  For  early  book-plates  you  must  consult  the  numerous  works  upon 
this  subject  that  have  appeared  in  recent  years.  An  excellent  series  of 
articles  entitled  "Books  on  Book-plates,"  by  F.C.P.,  appeared  in  'The 
Bookman's  Journal  and  Print  Collector '  between  February  and  July,  1920 
(Nos.  15-18,  20-23,  25,  34,  and  40).  There  is  also  'A  Bibliography  of  Book- 
plates,' by  Messrs.  Fincham  and  Brown,  in  which  the  plates  are  arranged 
chronologically.  The  Ex-Libris  Society  issues  a  journal,  and  there  are 
numerous  other  %-olumes  upon  this  subject,  which  you  will  find  mentioned  in 
Mr.  Courtney's  '  Register  of  National  Bibliography.' 


116  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  collector  must  tread  warily ;  for  should  he  send  his  copy 
of  Tim  Bobbin's  Lancashire  dialogue  of  Tummus  and  Meary 
to  the  binders  with  brief  instruction  that  it  is  to  be  bound  in 
full  morocco,  it  may  be  returned  to  him  in  all  the  splendour 
of  a  sixteenth-century  Florentine  binding. 

With  regard  to  books  published  in  cardboard  covers  with 
paper  backs  and  paper  labels,  what  is  to  be  done  with  these 
when  the  backs  are  dirty  or  torn  off,  the  labels  of  some 
volumes  missing  ?  Must  they  be  re-bound  in  leather  or  cloth  ? 
Not  necessarily,  and  I  for  my  part  maintain  that  the 
delightful  ease  which  one  experiences  in  handling  them  when 
reading  the  early  editions  of  Byron,  Scott,  or  Irving,  and 
those  writers  who  flourished  in  the  first  few  decades  of  the 
nineteenth  century  when  books  were  commonly  issued  in  this 
form,  is  sufficient  excuse  for  retaining  them  in  their  original 
shape.  Such  volumes  may  easily  be  made  presentable  at  the 
cost  of  a  little  time  and  trouble,  as  I  shall  presently  show. 

An  appearance  of  antiquity  is  never  a  desideratum  to  the 
honest  book-collector.  I  say  '  honest '  advisedly,  for  there 
have  been — and  doubtless  are — persons  so  misguided  as  to 
stoop  to  the  fabrication  of  certain  small  and  excessively 
valuable  books.  To  such,  an  appearance  of  age  is  no  doubt 
indispensable  in  their  wares.  But  these  are  torments  which 
afflict  the  wealthy  only ;  and  for  this  I  at  least  am  sincerely 
thankful. 

There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  in  the  collection  of  many 
things  antiquity  in  appearance  is  desirable :  witness  the 
modern  fabrication  of  '  antique  '  furniture  and  pottery.  Our 
book-hunter  was  once  acquainted  with  a  certain  country 
gentleman,  a  learned  man  and  most  excellent  companion, 
whose  passion  for  rare  things  once  got  the  better  of  his 
judgment.  It  was  not  books  that  he  collected,  but  butterflies  ; 
and  he  was  inordinately  proud  of  a  rather  seedy-looking 
*  Large  Copper  '  which  his  cabinet  contained.  For  the  benefit 
of  his  admiring  entomological  friends  he  would  recite  how  his 
grandfather  had  caught  it  with  his  hat  when  on  a  holiday  in 


The  Care  of  Books  117 

the  Fens.  It  grew  to  be  quite  an  exciting  tale.  One  day, 
however,  in  the  course  of  a  country  ramble  they  fell  to 
discussing  the  romancer,  or  man  who  resorts  to  fiction  that 
his  adventures  may  be  the  more  interesting.  And  as  (for  the 
sake  of  argument)  the  man  of  books  affected  to  praise  him, 
remarking  that  any  soulless  fool  can  tell  the  bald  truth  whereas 
it  requires  an  artistic  temperament  to  adorn  a  tale  with 
realistic  embellishment  (!),  his  friend  turned  to  him  eagerly. 
Being  encouraged,  he  confessed  that  his  Large  Copper  was 
not  all  that  it  appeared  to  be.  In  short,  the  bookman 
discovered  that  he  had  secured  it  himself  while  on  a  summer 
tour  in  Switzerland,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  camel' s-hair  brush 
had  succeeded  in  reducing  it  to  a  venerable  state. 

'  Of  course,'  the  entomologist  hastened  to  explain,  '  no  one 
could  possibly  tell  that  it  was  not  my  grandfather's.  He  had 
a  very  fine  collection,  and  probably  there  was  more  than  one 
Large  Copper  in  it,  though  there  was  only  the  one  in  the 
cabinet  that  came  to  me.  I  shall  never  forget  my  feelings 
when  it  happened.  I  had  taken  it  out  of  the  drawer  to  show 
to  a  friend,  when  we  both  saw,  outside  the  window,  what  we 
thought  was  an  Antiopa.  We  rushed  out,  and  when  we  came 
back  we  found  that  the  cat  ....  Dear  me ;  I  was  quite 
overcome  ....  But  that  summer  I  caught  the  one  you  have 
seen  in  Switzerland ;  and  as  my  dear  friend  was  no  more  and 
nobody  else  knew  of  the  catastrophe,  I  thought  there  would 
be  no  harm  in  merely  restoring  a  specimen  to  my  grandfather's 
collection.' 

But  the  bookman  pointed  out  to  him  that  when  he  died 
and  his  collection  was  sold  his  family  would  benefit  by  some 
pounds  through  his  indiscretion ;  for  it  was  now  known  to  all 
his  friends  as  a  genuine  English  specimen.  This  troubled  the 
entomologist  greatly,  for  it  was  a  point  of  view  that  had  never 
occurred  to  him,  and,  like  the  rich  young  man,  '  he  went  away 
grieved.' 

So  it  is  sometimes  in  book-collecting :  there  is  a  temptation 
to  '  restore  '  an  incomplete  book.     Should  the  collector  find 


118  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

that  his  copy  of  a  certain  work  lacks  a  portrait,  what  is  more 
natural  than  to  go  to  the  print-shop  and  purchase  a  portrait 
of  the  same  individual  for  insertion  in  his  copy  ?  And  in  this 
there  may  be  little  harm,  provided  that  the  book  is  of  no 
value  and  that  he  makes  a  note  in  ink  inside  the  front  cover 
as  to  what  he  has  done.  But  occasionally  some  unscrupulous 
book-fiend — he  is,  of  course,  no  true  book-collector — 
substitutes  for  a  damaged  page  a  page  from  another  copy, 
or  perhaps  of  a  later  edition ;  sometimes  he  supplies  his 
volume  with  a  spurious  title-page  or  other  leaf ;  and,  worst  of 
all,  substitutes  in  his  copy  of  the  second  edition,  whereof  the 
title-page  is  damaged,  the  title-page  of  a  first  edition,  of  which 
he  possesses  an  incomplete  copy. 

And  here  let  me  utter  a  word  of  warning.  Apparently  it  is 
the  practice  of  certain  cheap  second-hand  booksellers  to 
abstract  the  engraved  plates  from  folio  books,  occasionally 
also  removing  the  '  List  of  Plates '  that  the  theft  may  remain 
undiscovered,  and  to  sell  the  works  thus  mutilated  as  sound 
and  perfect  copies.  Needless  to  say  to  the  print  collector 
such  plates  are  invariably  worth  a  shilling  or  two  apiece,  if 
portraits  considerably  more.  I  know  to  my  cost  one  London 
bookseller  who  habitually  removes  the  engraved  portraits 
with  which  certain  seventeenth-century  folios,  especially 
historical  ones,  are  wont  to  be  embellished.  How  many  rare 
volumes  this  ghoul  has  ruined  it  is  impossible  to  say, 
probably  some  hundreds.  Our  book-hunter  confesses  to 
having  been  caught  by  him  three  times,  discovering  the  reason 
for  the  cheapness  of  his  bargains  ( !)  some  time  later.  A  friend 
has  also  suffered  from  his  attentions.  I  need  hardly  add  that 
his  shop  is  now  avoided,  by  two  book-hunters  at  least,  as 
something  unclean. 

Occasionally,  also,  one  comes  across  scarce  volumes  bereft 
of  title-pages,  these  having  been  torn  out  by  some  vampire  to 
adorn  his  scrapbook.  Surely  no  fate  can  be  too  bad  for  the 
man  who  dismembers  books.  His  proper  place  is  certainly 
in  the  Inferno,  where,  in  company  with  Bertrand  de  Born, 


The  Care  of  Books  119 

he  will  be  condemned  for  ever  to  carry  his  own  head,  after 
it  has  been  separated  from  his  body,  in  the  shape  of  a  lantern.* 

As  soon  as  ever  you  reach  home  with  your  purchases  from 
a  ramble  along  the  bookstalls,  and  whenever  you  receive  books 
that  you  have  ordered  through  a  bookseller's  catalogue,  collate 
your  acquisitions  carefully.  Whenever  it  is  possible  refer  to 
a  bibliography  to  see  that  your  copy  is  all  that  it  should  be. 
Nothing  is  more  annoying  than  to  discover,  perhaps  years 
afterwards,  that  your  copy  of  a  rare  book,  which  you  fondly 
imagined  to  be  a  fine  one  in  every  respect,  lacks  a  page  or  so, 
or  a  leaf  of  index  or  errata,  or  a  plate.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
make  a  point  of  keeping  books  upon  your  table  until  they 
have  been  properly  collated  and  catalogued,  when — and  not 
before — they  may  be  placed  upon  the  shelves. 

Frequently  you  will  discover  that  a  second  book,  or  even 
a  third,  has  been  bound  up  with  your  volume,  and  you  would 
have  overlooked  these  but  for  collating.  It  was  a  common 
practice  at  one  time  (as,  indeed,  it  is  with  some  collectors 
nowadays)  to  bind  up  thin  books  with  thicker  ones  to  save 
the  expense  of  binding.  Probably  this  is  the  reason  why 
certain  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century  works  which  consist 
of  but  fifty  or  sixty  leaves  are  so  hard  to  find,  being  bound 
at  the  end  of  larger  works  and  thus  commonly  escaping  the 
cataloguer's  eye. 

It  is  necessary  for  the  collector  to  exercise  the  greatest 
caution  in  acquiring  a  valuable  old  book  from  any  but  a 
reputable  bookseller.  The  fabrication  of  a  page  or  so — 
especially  a  title-page — is  a  comparatively  small  matter  to  the 
nefarious  dealer  who  hopes  by  this  means  to  obtain  for  his 
copy  the  price  which  a  perfect  one  would  command.  '  Perfect ' 
copies  of  rare  fifteenth-century  works  are  made  up  from  two 
or  more  imperfect  ones,  title-pages  and  leaves  are  reproduced 
in  facsimile,  blank  leaves  and  engravings  are  inserted  :  for  all 
these  the  collector  must  be  continually  upon  his  guard.  Other 
books    there    are    which    have    certain    passages    frequently 

*  Canto  .xviii. 


\J' 


120  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

mutilated,  or  a  genealogical  tree  or  a  table  generally  missing. 

Hazlitt  gives  two  examples  of  this  species  of  knavery. 
One,  in  which  a  reproduction  of  the  scarce  portrait  of  Milton 
usually  attached  to  the  first  edition  of  his  *  Poems,'  1645,  had 
been  actually  split  and  laid  down  on  old  paper  to  make  it 
resemble  the  original  print :  the  other,  a  case  in  which  a  copy 
of  Lovelace's  *  Lucasta,'  1649,  lacked  a  plate  representing 
Lucy  Sacheverell  (which  makes  a  good  deal  of  the  value  of 
the  book),  and  a  copy  of  the  modern  reproduction  of  this  plate 
to  be  found  in  Singer's  '  Select  Poets  '  had  been  soaked  off 
and  '  lined  '  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  a  genuine  impression 
mounted,  and  then  bound  in. 

And  these  mutilations  are  not  the  only  things  of  which  the 
collector  must  beware.  Early  in  the  history  of  books,  the 
reputation  that  hall-marked  the  publications  of  certain  famous 
presses  became  a  source  of  envy  to  less  fortunate  printers. 
Type  and  imprints  were  soon  counterfeited,  and  the  fine 
editions  of  the  Classics  printed  at  Venice  by  the  great  Aldine 
press  were  reproduced  at  Lyons  and  elsewhere.  In  this 
matter  of  forgery  and  pirated  reprints,  you  will  find  Gustave 
Brunet's  '  Imprimeurs  Imaginaires  et  Libraires  Supposes  '  of 
value.  It  is  a  catalogue  of  books  printed  with  fictitious 
indication  of  place  or  with  wrong  dates,  an  octavo  volume 
published  in  1866. 

These  things,  however,  cannot  be  learnt  at  once,  and  it  is 
only  by  the  continual  study  of  catalogues  and  bibliographies 
that  one  comes  to  know  them.  Needless  to  say,  however, 
all  reputable  booksellers  will  take  back  a  work  which  is 
discovered  to  be  imperfect,  provided  that  the  volume  be 
returned  without  delay. 

Books,  like  those  who  gave  them  birth,  are  of  all  conditions  ; 
but  from  the  collector's  point  of  view  they  may  be  divided 
conveniently  into  five  classes.  To  the  First  Class  belong 
those  volumes  which  are  described  by  booksellers  and 
auctioneers  as  *  fine  copies.'  Ever  since  their  publication  they 
have  been  in  the  possession  of  wealthy  men,  often  peers,  and 


The  Care  of  Books  121 

(sometimes  like  their  owners!)  have  passed  their  lives  for  the 
most  part  undisturbed  amid  luxurious  surroundings.  They 
are  invariably  richly  bound,  often  in  historic  bindings,  and  are 
clean  and  fresh  inside.  Frequently  they  are  sumptuous  works 
and  presentation  copies,  and  they  always  command  high 
prices.  In  a  word,  they  are  aristocrats  among  books.  They 
are  not  necessarily  rare  volumes,  though  frequently  they  are 
large-paper  copies,  and  for  the  true  collector  they  do  not 
offer  so  much  attraction  as  the  Second  Class,  in  which  we 
place  those  books  that  are  more  eagerly  sought  after.  These 
are  generally  rare  books,  such  as  incunabula  and  the  higher 
class  English  literature  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  are 
to  be  found  in  the  libraries  of  wealthy  collectors  who  are 
also  learned  men.  They  are  always  well  bound  and  in  good 
condition,  though  sometimes  they  have  their  headlines  shaved, 
occasionally  they  are  slightly  imperfect,  or  have  been  cleaned 
and  repaired.  But  they  are  always  desirable  books,  and  evoke 
spirited  bidding  whenever  they  appear  in  the  auction-room. 

Class  Three  comprises  the  great  army  of  what  may  be 
termed  *  middle-class  books.*  They  are  bound  usually  in  half- 
bindings,  when  they  are  not  in  the  pubhsher's  cloth,  and  are 
good,  clean,  sound,  copies  of  such  works  as  county  histories, 
antiquarian  books,  sets  of  the  learned  societies'  publications 
and  of  *  standard  authors.*  They  are  such  stable  and  solid 
books  as  you  will  usually  find  in  the  libraries  of  the  well-to-do 
middle  classes.  In  short  they  are  gilt-edged  securities,  and 
command  a  steady  price  in  the  market. 

To  Class  Four  may  be  assigned  the  volumes  contained  in 
the  average  second-hand  bookseller's  shop  in  this  country. 
They  are  the  oi  ttoWoi  among  books,  and  for  the  most  part 
they  include  the  more  frequent  and  more  modern  English 
works.  Usually  they  are  quite  desirable  copies,  though 
frequently  they  lack  a  portrait  or  other  plate,  sometimes  they 
have  a  torn  or  mounted  title-page,  or  other  imperfection. 
They  are  generally  in  cloth  or  calf  bindings  which  are  almost 
invariably  somewhat  decrepit,  being  either  rubbed  or  perished, 


122  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

or  cracked  at  the  joints.  They  are  dusty  and  rather  unkempt, 
and  fox-marks  are  common,  for  such  volumes  have  passed 
through  many  hands  and  have  not  always  been  accorded  the 
care  that  is  due  to  good  books.  But  it  is  here  that  one  comes 
across  books  *  in  the  original  boards  uncut,'  and,  if  expense 
be  no  object  to  you,  you  may  often  raise  such  purchases  to  a 
higher  class. 

Books  in  Class  Five  are  the  outcasts  of  the  book-world, 
being  those  decrepit  volumes  which  stack  the  bookstalls  and 
barrows  in  the  larger  towns.  They  are  the  weedings  of  auction 
sales  and  shops,  books  that  are  not  worth  cataloguing  by  the 
dealer.  Like  human  beings  they  have  drifted  through  life 
with  all  its  vicissitudes,  knowing  many  masters  and  earning 
the  gratitude  of  none.  And  so  at  length,  deprived  even  of  a 
home,  they  find  their  way  into  the  streets,  where  they  are 
soon  reduced  to  wreckage. 

At  first  sight  it  would  seem  that  they  owe  their  situation 
to  their  quality,  both  intrinsic  and  extrinsic — that  they  are 
valueless  either  as  literature  or  as  specimens  of  book- 
production,  or  that  they  are  imperfect  or  odd  volumes.  In 
many  cases  this  may  be  true,  but  in  general  it  is  not  so.  The 
wrecks  of  handsomely  produced  books  of  high-class  literature 
are  common  on  the  bookstalls  and  barrows,  as  all  collectors 
of  modest  means  are  aware.  They  owe  their  situation  chiefly 
to  inconsiderate  handling  and  to  the  carelessness  of  their 
successive  owners. 

As  to  the  practice  of  inserting  illustrations  in  books  that 
are  published  without  them,  '  Granger ising,'  as  it  is  called, 
it  is  perhaps  best  left  alone.  At  first  sight  there  appears  to 
be  small  harm  in  providing,  let  us  say,  a  volume  of  travels  or 
the  description  of  a  town  with  an  appropriate  engraved 
frontispiece,  or  adorning  your  biography  of  So-and-so  with 
a  portrait.  But  the  temptation  to  overstep  the  bounds  of 
seemliness  is  so  great  that  it  is  seldom  the  collector  stops  at  a 
mere  frontispiece.  In  most  cases  the  Grangerite  soon  loses 
his  self-control,  and  develops  an  acute  mania  for  embellishing 


The  Care  of  Books  123 

his  volume  with  all  and  every  print  upon  which  he  can  lay  his 
hands,  apposite  in  the  slightest  degree  to  the  subject  of  the 
book.  Every  year  the  sale-rooms  witness  these  monstrosities. 
BiogTraphies  issued  in  a  single  volume  are  *  extended ' 
(*  rended  asunder '  would  be  a  better  term)  to  fifteen  or 
twenty  volumes  by  the  insertion  of  hundreds  of  engravings 
depicting  every  place  mentioned  in  the  text  and  every  man 
or  woman  that  the  subject  of  the  biography  ever  met.  I  have 
seen  an  octavo  volume  multiplied  into  twenty-five  folio  ones 
in  this  fashion,  the  leaves  being  inlaid  to  suit  the  size  of  the 
huge  portraits  and  views  stuffed  into  the  disjointed  sections 
of  the  wretched  book.  Nor  is  it  only  engravings  that  are 
used.  Play-bills,  lottery-tickets,  tradesmen's  advertisements, 
autograph  letters,  maps,  charts,  broadsides,  street  ballads, 
bills  even,  all  are  grist  for  the  Grangerite's  mill. 

It  is  a  singularly  futile  hobby,  and  it  is  certainly  a  pernicious 
form  of  bibhomania,  for  it  is  responsible  for  the  destruction 
of  many  good  books.  Whether  its  devotee  imagines  that  any 
one  is  ever  going  to  wade  through  his  twenty  monstrosities, 
turning,  perhaps,  six  illustrations  between  page  and  page  of 
text,  we  have  not  discovered.  His  completed  labours  form  a 
compilation  about  as  valuable  as  a  scrap-book.  If  it  were 
possible  to  gather  into  one  volume,  or  rather  portfolio,  every 
portrait,  let  us  say,  of  a  certain  celebrity  that  has  ever  been 
published,  one  would  possess  a  valuable  storehouse  for 
reference  purposes  ;  and  such  a  volume,  from  its  completeness, 
would  be  invaluable  in  the  British  Museum.  But  these  limits 
are  too  narrow  for  the  true  Grangerite.  He  desires  a  wider 
field  of  action.  So  he  embarks  upon  a  task  which  he  can 
never  hope  to  complete.  Though  he  labour  all  his  life  there 
will  always  be  some  one  or  more  engravings  that  he  has  failed 
to  secure ;  and  so  far  from  being  '  invaluable,*  his  collection 
becomes  merely  of  passing  interest.  As  a  book  it  is,  of  course, 
grotesque. 

The  fate  of  most  of  these  collections  is  probably  the  same. 
So  long  as  the  binding  remains  in  good  condition  they  are 


124  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

ensured  a  niche  on  some  neglected  shelf ;  but  once  the  marks 
of  age  or  wear  and  tear  manifest  themselves  their  fate  is 
sealed.  They  come  speedily  into  the  hands  of  those  book- 
sellers who  deal  also  in  prints,  and  beneath  such  ruthless 
hands  the  labour  of  years  is  undone  in  a  few  minutes.  At 
least  it  is  pleasant  to  think  that  the  poor  pages,  separated  for 
so  many  years,  come  together  again  if  only  for  a  few  hours 
before  they  reach  the  paper-mill! 

Whether  the  sober-minded  collector  whose  pride  is  the 
well-being  of  his  books  is  justified  in  adding  a  frontispiece 
and,  say,  half-a-dozen  good  engravings  to  a  book  that  he 
appreciates,  is  a  moot  question.  Doubtless  the  correct  view 
IS  that  books  should  not  be  meddled  with  by  amateur  book- 
producers,  that  both  publisher  and  author  know  best  what  is 
most  fitting  for  the  volume  they  produce,  that  any  book  which 
has  been  tampered  with  internally  in  any  way  becomes  a 
monster  and  is  to  be  avoided.  But  this  brings  up  again  the 
old  question,  '  May  we  not  do  what  we  like  with  our  own 
volumes?  * 

Personally  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  judicious  and  extremely 
moderate  adornment  of  certain  books  is  justified  by  the  result. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  insertion  in  an  z^willustrated 
volume  of  travel  of,  let  us  say,  six  engraved  plates  depicting 
scenes  mentioned  in  the  text,  adds  a  charm  to  the  volume  and 
enhances  both  its  appearance  and  the  pleasure  of  its  perusal 
Similarly  the  addition  of  an  authentic  portrait  to  a  biography 
certainly  lends  an  added  interest,  whilst  the  addition  of  a  map 
is  often  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  the  reader.  But  that 
books  should  be  mutilated,  torn  apart,  and  stuffed  with 
play-bills,  lottery-tickets,  and  the  like,  no  sane  book-lover 
will  admit. 

There  are  some  books  that  seem  to  ask  for  illustration. 
Who  has  handled  the  three  foho  volumes  which  comprise  the 
first  edition  of  Clarendon's  *  History  of  the  Rebellion  '  without 
feeling  that  by  rights  they  should  contain  fine  mezzotint 
portraits  of  the  chief  actors  in  that  great  drama?     But  they 


The  Care  of  Books  125 

must  be  mezzotints,  mark  you — mere  line  engravings  would 
be  out  of  place  among  those  bank-note  paper  leaves  with  their 
handsome  great-primer  type.  This  question  of  seemliness, 
too,  must  be  considered  carefully  ere  we  add  a  single  plate 
to  any  volume.  Not  every  engraving,  however  beautiful  in 
design  and  impression,  is  at  once  suitable  to  every  book  that 
treats  of  the  subject  it  depicts.  That  the  illustrations  be 
contemporary  with  the  text  goes  without  saying.  No  one 
would  be  so  foolish  as  to  insert  modern  '  half-tone  * 
illustrations  in  a  seventeenth-century  book. 

That  heading  '  Extra-illustrated,'  so  dear  to  certain  book- 
sellers, must  send  a  shudder  through  many  of  the  discerning 
readers  of  their  catalogues.  Books  that  are  extra-illustrated 
should  be  avoided  by  the  collector  on  principle.  There  is 
something  foolishly  egotistical  in  seeking  (by  those  who 
have  no  knowledge  of  book-production)  to  '  improve  *  the 
work  of  other  men  whose  business  is  the  making  of  books. 
There  can  be  no  necessity  for  it ;  the  author  is  quite  sure  to 
have  added  the  illustrations  that  are  requisite  for  the  volume. 
It  is  only  books  that  were  published  without  illustrations  that 
we  are  justified  in  attempting  to  embellish.  Illustrations  in  a 
book  are  invariably  a  question  of  the  author's  and  publisher's 
tastes ;  the  cost  of  their  production  is  not  usually  an 
all-important  item :  it  is  the  setting  up  of  the  type,  the  paper, 
and  the  binding  that  count — not  the  illustrations. 

It  was  the  fashion  in  the  early  decades  of  the  last  century 
to  issue  volumes  of  engravings  suitable  for  illustrating  the 
works  of  contemporary  writers,  such  as  Byron  and  Scott :  and 
these  illustrations  can  be  used  when  you  have  your  editions 
rebound.  There  is  no  particular  merit  about  the  greater  part 
of  them,  but  they  depict  incidents  described  in  the  text,  so  at 
least  they  are  apposite.  Each  to  his  taste  ;  our  book-hunter  for 
his  part  needs  no  second-rate  illustrations  to  help  him  visualise 
the  glories  of  Childe  Harold  or  Don  Juan  ;  and  he  has  long 
since  confined  his  Grangerising  to  the  sparing  addition  of 
finely  engraved  portraits  to  biographical  volumes. 


•o 


CHAPTER    VI 

THE  CARE  OF  BOOKS— {Continued) 

'  In  the  name  of  Christ  all  men  I  pray, 
No  wight  this  book  doth  carry  away, 
By  force  or  theft  or  any  deceit. 
Why  not?     Because  no  treasure  so  sweet 
As  my  books,  which   the  grace  of  Christ  display.' 

(Written  in  Latin  hexameters  at  the  end  of 
the  Leechbook  of  Bald.) 

HERE  can  be  no  subject  of  such  prime 
importance  to  the  collector  as  the  housing 
of  his  books.  In  most  cases  the  books 
themselves  have  small  say  in  the  matter, 
for  a  certain  room  in  the  house  is  allotted 
to  them  without  any  consideration  as  to  its 
suitability  for  storing  books,  and  there  they  must  abide, 
making  such  shift  as  their  possessor  shall  determine.  This 
must  always  be  the  case  where  their  owner  is  in  lodgings  or 
in  any  temporary  abode,  where  it  is  not  considered  worth 
while  going  to  the  expense  of  putting  up  permanent  shelves 
for  his  books.  But,  after  careless  handling,  there  is  nothing 
that  ruins  books  more  quickly  than  an  indifference  to  their 
well-being ;  and  unless  our  volumes  are  constantly  placed  in 
their  proper  position,  that  is  upon  their  feet,  they  will  age 
speedily  and  visibly  both  inside  and  out 

'  The  surest  way  to  preserve  your  books  in  health  is  to  treat 
them  as  you   would  your  own  children,*   wrote   that   great 


The  Care  of  Books  127 

bibliophile,  William  Blades ;  and  the  care  which  should  ever 
be  bestowed  upon  ancient  volumes  cannot  be  too  strongly 
emphasised.  And  it  is  not  only  *  ancient  *  volumes  that 
require  attention.  Cloth  bindings  are  hardly  so  durable  as 
leather,  and  without  proper  care  a  library  of  modern  books 
can  be  reduced  to  wreckage  in  a  year.  It  is  just  as  easy  to 
provide  proper  accommodation  for  one's  books,  wherever  one 
may  be  living,  as  it  is  to  provide  comforts  for  oneself.  Treat 
your  books  well  and  they  will  last  you  all  your  life,  giving 
pleasure  every  time  that  you  may  take  them  in  your  hands. 
Remember  also  that  although  one  may  judge  the  propensities 
of  a  collector  from  the  titles  of  his  volumes  and  his  character 
from  their  contents,  yet  there  is  nothing  which  indicates  his 
habits  so  surely  as  the  external  appearance  of  his  books. 
Whenever  our  book-hunter  enters  the  library  of  a  fellow- 
bookman  he  can  gauge  at  once  the  depths  of  his  feelings 
towards  books,  let  alone  the  extent  of  his  bibliographical 
knowledge. 

Surely  no  man  is  such  a  giant  among  his  fellows  that  he 
may  allow  the  life-works  of  the  greatest  geniuses  of  this 
world  to  be  spurned  underfoot  ?  '  Take  thou  a  book  into 
thine  hands,'  wrote  Thomas  a  Kempis,  *  as  Simeon  the  Just 
took  the  Child  Jesus  into  his  arms  to  carry  him  and  kiss  him.* 

What  true  book-lover  could  find  it  in  his  heart  wantonly 
to  injure  a  good  book?  '.  .  .  as  good  almost  kill  a  Man  as 
kill  a  good  Book,'  wrote  Milton  in  that  oft-quoted  passage  in 
his  Areopagitica  ;  '  who  kills  a  Man  kills  a  reasonable  creature, 
God's  Image ;  but  hee  who  destroyes  a  good  Booke  kills 
Reason  itselfe,  kills  the  Image  of  God,  as  it  were  in  the  eye. 
Many  a  man  lives  a  burden  to  the  Earth ;  but  a  good  Booke 
is  the  pretious  hfe-blood  of  a  master  spirit,  imbalm'd  and 
treasur'd  up  on  purpose  to  a  Life  beyond  Life.' 

It  is  not  only  the  critic  who  destroys  books,  for  neglect 
may  approach  dangerously  near  to  wanton  destruction.  At 
the  least,  he  who  regards  not  the  welfare  of  his  books  is  an 
accessory  before  the  fact  of  their  destruction.     '  Books,'  says 


128  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

that  veteran  bibliophile  M.  Octave  Uzanne,  '  are  so  many 
faithful  and  serviceable  friends,  gently  teaching  us  everything 
through  their  persuasive  and  wise  experience.'  Surely  if 
good  books  are  so  much  to  us,  such  a  great  part  of  our  lives, 
it  behoves  us  to  respect  them  not  a  little.  Have  they  not 
taught  us,  guided  us,  advised  us,  soothed  us,  and  amused  us 
from  our  youth  up  ?  And  is  it  meet  that  we  should  repay  their 
constant  friendship  with  indignity  ? 

'  Thou,  whosoever  thou  art  that  studiest  in  this  book,' 
"wrote  an  unknown  book-lover  many  centuries  ago  upon  the 
margin  of  a  favourite  volume,  '  take  heed  to  turn  the  leaves 
lightly  and  smoothly,  that  thou  mayest  avoid  tearing  them 
on  account  of  their  thinness  ;  and  seek  to  imitate  the  example 
of  Jesus  Christ  who,  when  He  had  gently  opened  the  book  of 
Isaiah  and  read  it  with  attention,  at  length  closed  it  reverently 
and  returned  it  to  the  minister.' 

On  this  subject  of  shelving  our  book-hunter  can  speak  from 
'experience,  for  he  has  provided  proper  accommodation  for  a 
thousand  to  three  thousand  volumes  in  three  temporary 
abodes.*  It  takes  a  little  time,  a  fair  amount  of  trouble,  and 
an  outlay  of  three  or  four  pounds  ;  but  when  once  accom- 
plished such  shelving  is  a  thing  of  no  small  pride  to  oneself, 
and  the  object  of  a  good  deal  of  admiration  by  one's  friends. 
Briefly,  the  plan  he  has  always  adopted  is  to  erect  shelves  of 
pine  or  deal  stained  brown,  nine  inches  wide  and  five-eighths 
or  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  along  the  entire  walls  of  his 
sanctum.  It  is  firmly  made  and  will  last  a  lifetime,  yet  it  can 
readily  be  taken  to  pieces  in  a  few  minutes. 

In  erecting  such  shelving  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  estimate 
how  many  feet  of  it  you  will  require.  On  an  average  one 
foot  will  contain  ten  octavo  or  quarto  volumes  or  six  folio 
ones.     There  should  be  ten  inches  between  the  shelves  for 


*  It  may  be  that  you  are  contemplating  the  erection  of  shelves  for  your 
books?  If  so,  perhaps  the  writer's  experience  may  save  you  some  little  time 
and  trouble.  But  if  your  treasures  are  already  housed  in  a  manner  fitting, 
then  he  will  claim  your  indulgence  and  ask  that  you  be  so  good  as  to  skip  the 
■next  few  pages. 


I  HE    HC)Mi;-MAUK    I.II'.R  \RV 


The  Care  of  Books  129« 

octavos,  twelve  inches  for  quartos,  and  fourteen  inches  for 
fohos :  while  at  the  bottom  you  may  have  a  shelf  sixteen 
inches  in  height  for  such  large  folios  as  you  may  acquire  or 
already  possess.  Should  the  huge  folios  (almost  folissimos) 
published  by  the  Record  Commission  in  the  early  years  of 
the  nineteenth  century  fall  within  the  category  of  your 
collecting  activities,  you  will  require  one  shelf  at  least  no  less 
than  nineteen  inches  in  height.  If  only  for  the  sake  of  your 
peace  of  mind  I  would  strongly  advise  you  not  to  begin 
collecting  early  Spanish  antiphonaries,  such  as  you  may  see- 
in  the  Escurial ;  for  these  are  frequently  six  feet  high  and 
four  feet  wide,  and  are  really  out  of  place  in  the  small  domestic 
library.  I  forget  for  the  moment  their  precise  dimensions  in. 
millimetres. 

It  IS  a  mistake  to  have  the  top  shelves  too  high.  Not  to 
speak  of  the  inconvenience  of  having  to  stretch  upon  tip-toe 
or  mount  a  chair  in  order  to  obtain  a  volume,  your  books  will 
be  subjected  to  a  higher  temperature  the  nearer  they  are  to 
the  ceiling.  Blades,  in  his  *  Enemies  of  Books,'  is  emphatic 
upon  this  point.  '  Heat  alone,'  he  says,  '  without  any  noxious 
fumes  is,  if  continuous,  very  injurious  to  books ;  and,  without 
gas,  bindings  may  be  utterly  destroyed  by  desiccation,  the 
leather  losing  all  its  natural  oils  by  long  exposure  to  much, 
heat.  It  is,  therefore,  a  great  pity  to  place  books  high  up  in 
a  room  where  heat  of  any  kind  is  used,  for  it  must  rise  to 
the  top,  and  if  sufficient  to  be  of  comfort  to  the  readers  below 
is  certain  to  be  hot  enough  above  to  injure  the  bindings.' 

Gas  is  one  of  the  greatest  enemies  of  books,  the  sulphur- 
in  the  gas  fumes  attacking  the  leather  bindings  readily,  so 
that  in  time  they  are  reduced  to  tinder.  So  if  gas  be  the 
illuminant  in  your  study,  see  to  it  that  no  volume  of  yours  be- 
above  the  level  of  the  burner.  In  any  case,  if  space  will 
permit,  the  highest  shelf  should  not  be  more  than  six  feet 
from  the  ground.  For  similar  reasons  of  temperature,  the- 
bottom  shelves  should  be  six  inches  above  the  floor. 

As  to  the  actual  length  of  the  shelves,  if  constructed  of 


130 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 


wood  five-eighths  of  an  inch  thick  wAen  flaned,  they  should 
not  exceed  two  feet  two  inches  in  length  between  supports. 
If  made  longer  they  will  gradually  bend  in  the  middle  under 
the  weight  of  the  books  and  soon  look  unsightly.  But  if 
made  of  three-quarter-inch  wood,  they  may  well  be  three 
feet  long. 

Now  as  to  the  actual  construction  of  the  cases.  We  will 
suppose  that  the  entire  case,  that  is  shelves  and  uprights, 
is  to  be  made  of  planks  five-eighths  of  an  inch  thick  when 
planed.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  estimate  how  many  feet  of 
timber  you  will  require.  Measure  your  wall  space.  In 
calculating  the  length  of  shelving  remember  that  each  upright 
is  five-eighths  of  an  inch  thick  ;  and  in  estimating  the  height 
of  the  uprights,  don't  forget  to  add  the  thicknesses  of  the 
shelves  to  the  spaces  between  them.  Perhaps  the  following 
■example  will  be  useful. 

To  find  height  of  upright :  — 


Top  shelf  space 

9iin. 

2nd      „         „            ... 

10  in. 

3rd       .,         „            ... 

10  in. 

4th       „ 

10  ia 

5th       „         „            ... 

12  in. 

6th       „         „            ... 

14  in. 

Height  of  lowest  shelf  from  floor 

6  in. 

Thickness  of  6  shelves,  each  fin. 

3|in. 

Height  of  upright- 

-6ft.,  3iin. 

The  top  shelf  will  be  5ft.  5in.  from  the  ground. 

The  uprights  must  be  two  inches  wider  than  the  shelves 
in  order  that  the  latter  may  not  rest  against  the  wall.  There 
must  always  be  a  space  between  shelves  and  wall  to  allow  a 
free  circulation  of  air  about  the  books.  Therefore,  let  your 
uprights  be  eleven  inches  and  your  shelves  nine  inches  in 


The  Care  of  Books  131 

width.     In  estimating  the  amount  of  timber  required,  don't 
forget  the  top. 

The  manner  in  which  the  shelves  are  supported  by  the 
uprights  is  as  follows.  Strips  of  wood  five-eighths  of  an  inch 
square  and  nme  inches  long  are  screwed  across  the  uprights, 
and  on  these  the  shelves  rest.  So  when  you  order  the  wood 
from  your  carpenter  or  timber  merchant  see  that  he  sends 
you  also  a  sufficiency  of  these  strips,  two  for  each  shelf. 

The  fixing  of  these  strips  will  entail  a  certain  amount  of 
carpentry,  and  in  addition  to  bradawl,  screwdriver,  and  foot- 
rule  you  will  need  a  hard  pencil  and  a  carpenter's  square,  as 
well  as  some  stout  iron  screws  one  inch  long.     Two  screws 
are   sufficient   for   each   strip.       If   you   are    anything   of  a 
carpenter  you  will  countersink  the  holes  for  the  heads  of  the 
screws  ;  this  will  also  prevent  a  possible  splitting  of  the  strip. 
When  your  carpentering  is  completed,  the  whole  case  must 
be  stained  to  your  taste.     For  this  purpose  our  book-hunter 
has    found    nothing    so    good    as    the    solution    known    as 
*  Solignum,'  which  may  be  purchased  at  any  ironmonger's. 
In  addition  to  being  a  wood-preservative,  it  has  the  advantage 
of  being  obnoxious  to  insects.     It  dries  a  pleasing  brown,  not 
unlike  old  oak.     The  only  objection  to  its  use  that  he  has 
discovered  is  that  it  smells  strongly^  though  not  unpleasantly^ 
for  about  a  fortnight.     One  coat  is  quite  sufficient,  and  after 
a  few  days  you  may  rub  the  shelves  with  an  old  duster  to 
remove  any  of  the  solution  that  has  not  yet  been  absorbed. 
The  case  should  now  be  put  together,  the  tops  (which  are 
in  one  piece,  the  entire  width  of  the  case)  and  lowest  shelves 
being  screwed  to  the  uprights.     The  other  shelves  are  merely 
rested  on  the  strips.     You  will  find  that  if  your  floor  be  level, 
and  you  have  sawn  the  bottoms  of  the  uprights  squarely, 
there  will  be  no  necessity  to  affix  the  case  to  the  wall :  the 
weight  of  the  books  alone  will  keep  it  in  position.     If  the 
floor  proves  uneven,  small  wedges  underneath  the  uprights 
will  be  sufficient. 

You  will  find  it  an  advantage  to  cover  the  shelves  and  their 


132  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

sides  with  green  baize.  This  protects  the  bindings  of  the 
books  considerably,  and  it  is  easily  stuck  on  with  glue.  It 
has  also  the  advantage  of  holding  the  dust  which  collects, 
and  with  the  aid  of  a  small  *  vacuum-cleaner  '  such  as  most 
households  possess  nowadays,  the  cases  may  be  cleaned 
thoroughly  without  removing  a  single  shelf.*  Felt  would  be 
better,  but  it  is,  of  course,  much  more  expensive.  Sir  John 
Cheke,  tutor  to  Edward  the  Sixth,  that  learned  man  who,  says 
Milton,  '  taught  Cambridge  and  King  Edward  Greek,'  used 
buckram.  *  Among  other  lacks,'  he  writes  from  Cambridge 
in  1549  to  a  friend  in  London,  '  I  lack  painted  bucram  to  lai 
betweyne  bokes  and  hordes  in  mi  studi,  which  I  now  have 
trimd.  I  have  need  of  XXX  yardes.  Chuse  you  the  color.* 
But  the  buckram  of  his  day  was  probably  a  very  different 
material  from  the  cloth  which  we  are  accustomed  to  associate 
with  the  binding  of  books.  At  all  events  I  certainly  should 
not  recommend  its  use  when  you  trim  your  studi. 

On  no  account  must  you  paint  or  varnish  your  shelves, 
unless,  of  course,  you  intend  to  cover  them  with  baize  or 
felt.  However  good  the  paint,  however  hard  the  varnish, 
heavy  leather-bound  books  will  adhere  to  them  in  course  of 
time.  So  that  when  you  come  to  remove  a  volume  which  you 
have  treasured  in  its  ancient  calf,  you  will  find  that  the  leather 
at  the  bottom  edges  of  the  boards  remains  behind  with  the 
shelf.  Therefore,  unless  you  intend  to  line  them,  let  your 
shelves  be  stained  or  sparingly  polished  only. 

Care  must  be  taken  not  to  place  any  volume  near  wet  or 
even  damp  *  Solignum.'  Make  sure  that  it  is  thoroughly  dry 
or  covered  with  baize  before  you  place  a  single  volume  on  the 
shelves.  Should  you  wish  your  work  to  look  particularly  neat, 
you  may  putty  over  the  heads  of  the  screws  before  you  begin 
staining  operations.  An  additional  *  finish  '  is  given  by 
numbering  the  cases  with  Roman   numerals   in  gold  upon 


•  But  as  the  shelves  are  not  fixed  to  the  uprights,  it  is  a  simple  matter  to 
remove  each  shelf  in  turn  from  the  room,  and  brush  out  the  dust  with  a  stiflf 
clothes-brush. 


The  Care  of  Books  133 

small  stained  blocks  (about  2  inches  by  IJ  inches)  affixed  to 
the  top  of  each  case.  The  shelves  may  also  be  lettered  with 
letters  of  the  alphabet  cut  out  of  gold  paper. 

But  perhaps  you  may  prefer  to  designate  the  cases  of  your 
library  by  the  names  of  ancient  Rome,  as  was  the  practice 
followed  notably  in  these  days  in  the  library  of  Sir  Robert 
Cotton.  It  is  a  pleasant  conceit,  and  there  is  certainly  some- 
thing more  dignified  about  *  Vespasian,  VII,  7,'  or  '  Cleopatra, 
IV.  26  '  than  there  is  about  a  mere  '  B,  VI,  8,'  or  *  XIV,  C,  16.' 
Asinius  PoUio,  that  great  warrior,  historian,  and  book-lover  of 
the  Augustan  age,  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  adorn  his 
library  with  portraits  and  busts  of  celebrated  men  as  well  as 
with  statues  of  Minerva  and  the  Muses,  an  example  that  was 
soon  followed  by  others.  Pollio  was  the  first  to  found  a  public 
library  at  Rome,  which  he  endowed  with  the  money  obtained 
in  his  Illyrian  campaign,  says  Pliny :  but  in  how  many  public 
libraries  at  the  present  day  will  you  find  a  memorial  of  this 
great  patron  of  Virgil  and  Horace? 

The  effect  of  placing  statuettes  of  marble  or  plaster,  about 
sixteen  inches  high,  on  the  top  of  one's  book-cases  is 
singularly  pleasing ;  and  there  is  an  appropriateness  about  it 
to  the  eye  that  it  is  impossible  to  describe.  One  may  have 
beautiful  reproductions  of  all  the  most  famous  classical  statues 
and  busts  for  a  few  shillings.  What  can  be  more  appropriate 
than  for  Calliope  to  preside  over  your  case  containing  Homer 
and  Virgil,  Dante  and  Milton  ;  or  that  Euterpe  should  be 
enthroned  'above  Theocritus  and  Horace,  Shelley  and 
Swinburne  ?  You  may  carry  your  fancy  on  these  lines  as  far 
as  you  like,  and  you  may  include  any  figure  that  pleases  you, 
from  the  well-known  '  Discobolus  '  (over  your  case  of  sporting 
books!)  to  the  exquisite  statue  which  many  still  persist  in 
calling  the  '  Venus  de  Milo.'* 


•  It  does  not  represent  the  Roman  Venus,  and  there  is  no  place  named 
'  Milo.'  Were  the  statue  anywhere  else  than  in  the  Lou\Te,  probably  it 
would  be  known  generally  (as  it  is  to  scholars)  by  its  proper  name — the 
Aphrodite  of  Melos. 


134  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

A  friend  of  our  book-hunter  has  adopted  a  somewhat  similar 
plan.  Above  each  case  in  his  library  he  has  placed  an  oaken 
shield  on  which  are  emblazoned  the  aj-ms  of  one  of  the  ancient 
historic  families  of  England,  such  as  Warren,  Clare,  Mortimer, 
or  Doyly.  The  effect  is  striking,  and  the  bold  colouring  of 
fesses  and  chevrons  lightens  the  sombre  tone  of  the  mahogany 
cases.  The  shields  are  chosen  for  their  distinctive  features, 
and,  once  learnt,  it  would  be  impossible  in  seeking  '  Warr.  C, 
21 '  to  mistal<e  the  scarlet  chevrons  of  Clare  for  the  blue  and 
white  chess-board  coat  of  Warren. 

On  the  matter  of  cases  with  glass  doors  we  need  not  touch 
here ;  it  has  been  thoroughly  debated  by  such  masters  as 
Blades  and  Lang.  For  the  storing  of  valuable  books  and 
bindings  such  cases  are  excellent,  provided  always  that  there 
is  a  free  circulation  of  air  about  the  volumes,  or  that  the  doors 
are  opened  every  day.  But  for  one  who  is  at  work  continually 
in  his  library,  and  is  referring  constantly  to  his  books,  the 
repeated  opening  and  closing  of  glass  doors  would  be  some- 
thing more  than  irritating.  Charles  V.  of  France  had  grilles 
of  brass  wire  put  in  the  windows  of  his  library  in  the  Louvre, 
to  preserve  the  books  from  the  attacks  of  '  birds  and  other 
beasts.'  The  document  recording  the  payment  for  this  work 
makes  the  sinister  remark  that  the  books  were  in  the  tower 
*  devers  la  Fauconnerie.'  Precisely  what  the  clerk  of  the 
works  thought  we  shall  never  know ;  possibly  he  pictured  a 
goshawk  pouncing  upon  the  '  veluyau  ynde  *  in  which  some 
chubby  duodecimo  was  clothed.  In  the  end,  however,  the 
'  oyseaux  et  autres  bestes  '  had  to  make  room  for  the  books ; 
and  the  Tour  de  la  Fauconnerie,  known  thenceforth  as  the 
Tour  de  la  Librairie,  was  panelled  throughout  with  '  bois 
d'Irlande,'  carved  and  inlaid  (as  it  seems)  with  cypress  wood. 
However,  this  was  so  long  ago  as  1368. 

We  must  now  turn  to  another  important  matter — perhaps 
the  most  important  subject  to  the  collector  after  the  housing 
of  his  volumes — namely,  the  binding  of  his  books.  It  is  a 
subject  that   is   naturally   of   the   greatest   moment   to   the 


The  Care  of  Books  135 

bibliophile,  for  it  is  as  essentially  a  part  of  his  volumes  as  are 
their  leaves  and  print.  It  is  constantly  before  him,  and  will 
continue  to  occupy  his  thoughts  to  the  end  of  his  book- 
collecting  career.  So  often,  however,  has  it  been  treated,  so 
many  are  the  books  upon  it  by  skilled  craftsmen,  that  it  were 
needless  (and,  indeed,  presumptuous  for  the  writer)  to  enter 
into  any  details  here  concerning  its  methods.  I  would 
strongly  urge  every  young  collector,  however,  to  make  himself 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  craft  so  far  as  can  be  done 
without  actually  becoming  apprentice  to  a  bookbinder.  Book- 
binding is  taught  nowadays  at  most  of  the  County  Council 
Schools  of  Technics  throughout  the  kingdom ;  and  there  are 
opportunities  in  this  direction  for  the  young  bibliophile  to-day 
which  his  elder  brethren  regard  with  envy. 

Even  where  such  practical  instruction  is  unobtainable  it  is 
possible  to  acquire  a  quite  considerable  knowledge  of  the  craft 
by  a  diligent  study  of  practical  text-books  and  the  scrutinous 
handling  of  volumes  bound  in  all  ages.  As  he  reads  each 
page,  each  section  of  his  manual,  the  collector  should  examine 
repeatedly  the  volumes  lying  by  his  side.  Our  book-hunter 
began  his  study  of  bookbinding  with  a  small  and  excellent 
text-book  by  Mr.  Joseph  Zaehnsdorf,  a  member  of  the  well- 
known  firm  of  binders  (sm.  8vo,  3rd  ed.  1897) ;  but  it  has 
perhaps  been  superseded  by  the  more  recent  work  of  Mr, 
Douglas  Cockerell,  namely,  '  Bookbinding  and  the  Care  of 
Books,'  a  perfectly  invaluable  little  book  to  the  collector 
(sm.  Svo,  4th  ed.  1915,  published  by  Mr.  John  Hogg, 
Paternoster  Row).  A  diligent  application  to  this  book  and 
constant  reference  to  bound  volumes  during  his  perusal  will 
teach  the  collector  sufficient  about  the  binding  of  books  for 
his  purpose.  He  will  be  able  to  distinguish  between  a  cased 
and  a  bound  book,  a  well-bound  and  a  badly-bound  volume, 
good  and  bad  sewing,  tooling,  etc. ;  and  he  will  learn  the 
advantages  of  the  solid  back. 

Now  he  may  turn  to  the  valuable  work  by  Mr.  H.  P.  Home 
entitled  *  The  Binding  of  Books  '  (Svo,  1894)  from  which  he 


136  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

will  learn  a  great  deal  that  is  of  interest  concerning  the 
history  of  binding.  An  excellent  pamphlet  on  bookbinders 
and  the  history  of  their  craft,  by  Mr.  W.  H.  J.  Weale,  was 
issued  in  1898  by  the  authorities  of  the  Victoria  and  Albert 
Museum  at  South  Kensington.  It  was  published  at  one 
shiUing,  and  consists  of  130  pages  with  illustrations  of  binders' 
stamps  and  tools,  and  has  an  excellent  index.  At  the  time  of 
writing  it  is  still  in  print.  But  you  will  find  valuable  lists  of 
works  on  the  history  and  practice  of  bookbinding  in  Mr. 
Cyril  Davenport's  delightful  volume  *  The  Book :  its  History 
and  Development '  (8vo,  1907,  Messrs.  Constable  and  Co.). 
And  there  are  two  small  volumes  on  the  qualities  of  the 
modern  book-binding  leathers  which  the  collector  will  do  well 
to  read,  mark,  learn  and  inwardly  digest  at  the  outset  of  his 
bibliopegic  studies.  They  are  '  Leather  for  Libraries  '  (8vo, 
London  1905),  by  a  committee  of  the  Library  Association, 
and  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of  the  Society  of  Arts  on 
Leather  for  Bookbinding,  also  octavo,  London  1905. 

Now  as  to  the  practical  application  of  his  knowledge  of 
bookbinding.  He  will  have  realised  at  the  outset  of  his 
career  that  unless  a  book  be  strongly  bound  in  leather  at  the 
first,  much  use  will  quickly  reduce  it  to  the  condition  of  a 
wreck.  The  British  Museum  authorities,  recognising  this, 
wisely  rebind  in  leather  certain  volumes  published  in  cloth 
covers  which  are  to  be  placed  on  the  shelves  of  the  Reading 
Room.  Where  much  use  is  accorded  to  the  volumes  doubtless 
the  ideal  way,  if  one  were  possessed  of  sufficient  means,  would 
be  to  purchase  new  books  in  quires  only,  and  to  have  them 
bound  in  vellum,  pigskin  or  morocco  straight  away.  With 
regard  to  second-hand  books  (by  which  I  mean  old-time 
literature)  these  would  be  rebound,  similarly,  before  they  were 
assigned  places  on  the  shelves. 

Fortunately,  however,  in  the  private  library  our  volumes 
are  immune  from  that  careless  handling  usually  accorded  to 
books  by  those  who  love  not  learning  for  learning's  sake,  but 
look  upon  it  as  a  necessary  part  of  their  worldly  education. 


The  Care  of  Books  137 

Usually  there  is  no  need  to  rebind  these  ancient  tomes  whose 
'  joints '  are  so  delicately  described  by  the  bookseller  as 
'  tender '  :  their  very  infirmity  will  ensure  that  they  be 
accorded  careful  handling.  But  there  comes  a  time  when 
the  old  fellow  succumbs  to  his  arthrodial  trouble,  and  there 
is  nothing  for  it  but  to  send  him  to  the  binder  that  he  may 
acquire  a  second  youth.  Then  it  is  that  the  collector's 
learning  in  the  art  of  binding  will  prove  of  the  greatest  use. 
He  will  take  the  patient  in  his  hands,  examine  him  minutely, 
and  write  a  long  prescription  which  he  will  slip  into  the 
volume  opposite  the  title-page,  before  proceeding  to  wrap  him 
up  for  the  journey.     It  will  run  something  like  this : 

M.  Pasquier's  '  Recherches  de  la  France  ' 
Fo:  Paris  1633. 
To  be  bound  in  full  Niger,  dark  brown  (as  I  usually  have  it). 
Solid  back,  big  round  bands. 
All  edges  untouched. 
Old  marbled  endpapers,  cloth  joints. 
Blind  panel  and  lozenge  tooling  on  sides  (like  the  pattern  you 

have  of  my  big  Menestrier). 
On  the  back  a  broad  gold  line  either  side  of  each  band. 
Panels  plain. 
To  be  lettered  (thick  fount) 

RECHERCHES 
DE  LA  FRANCE 

and  in  the  middle  panel 

PASQUIER. 

The  engraved  portrait  facing  the  title-page  to  be  washed  and 

sized. 
Tears  on  pp.  721,  723  to  be  mended. 

Pigskin,  vellum,  and  morocco  (by  which  I  intend  goat- 
skin) :  there  are  no  alternatives  if  durability  be  our  aim ;  calf, 
of  course,  we  have  learnt  long  ago  to  eschew.  No  leather, 
except  Russia,  perishes  more  quickly  or  more  easily.  Rather 
have  a  book  bound  in  cloth  than  in  calf  any  day.     Buckram  is 


138  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

good  and  stands  fairly  rough  handling  ;  it  is  useful  for  binding 
catalogues  and  cheap  books.  See  that  your  binder  gives  you 
good  thick  boards  when  he  clothes  your  books  in  buckram. 

Years  ago,  when  books  were  most  commonly  bound  in  calf, 
a  custom  arose  of  stamping  the  lettering  on  thin  pieces  of 
leather  of  a  different  colour  from  the  binding,  and  these  were 
stuck  on  to  the  back  of  the  book.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
these  leather  labels  have  sometimes  a  pleasing  effect,  and  for 
a  time  the  custom  was  very  popular.  But  it  is  a  bad  habit. 
Besides  the  meretricious  effect  generally  produced,  the  paste 
which  holds  the  label  to  the  back  of  the  book  perishes  in 
time,  and  the  label  drops  off.  A  visit  to  any  large  second-hand 
bookshop  will  afford  an  admirable  illustration  of  the  result 
of  this  habit.  Here  one  may  see  sets  of  Shakespeare's  works 
and  other  classics  which  present  a  most  woebegone  appearance 
owing  to  several  of  the  volumes  having  shed  their  labels. 
The  only  excuse  for  this  custom  that  I  have  ever  heard  urged, 
is  that  one  always  knows  when  to  rebind  volumes  so  adorned  : 
it  is  when  the  labels  begin  to  fall. 

As  to  the  merits  and  demerits  of  the  different  coloured 
moroccos,  you  will  find  these  fully  dealt  with  in  the  book- 
binding manuals.  White  and  black  we  are  warned  against 
especially.  The  bookbinding  authorities  tell  us  that  vellum, 
if  exposed  to  a  strong  light,  perishes  and  chips  off  like 
egg-shell ;  and  we  are  warned  to  place  vellum  bound  volumes 
with  their  backs  to  the  wall,  lettering  the  fore-edge  with  pen 
and  ink,  as  was  often  done  of  old.  But  if  kept  away  from  the 
windows  this  precaution  seems  to  be  unnecessary.  The 
beautiful  brown  vellum  used  for  binding  and  repairing  old 
books  by  Messrs.  John  Ramage  and  Son  is  very  attractive 
and  is,  perhaps,  as  durable  a  binding  as  it  is  possible  to  have. 
Possibly  other  bookbinders  use  it,  though  I  do  not  remember 
to  have  seen  it  used  by  any  other  firm.  So  far  as  I  am  aware 
this  firm  is  the  only  one  in  London  capable  of  executing  work 
of  the  very  highest  class  at  a  price  within  the  means  of  the 
modest  collector. 


The  Care  of  Books  139 

It  has  been  said  that  there  are  only  four  bookbinders  in 
London  who  may  be  trusted  not  to  mutilate  a  book,  and  that 
there  are  only  two  who  have  any  sense  of  design  and  harmony 
of  colour.  But  this  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  consider 
that  the  majority  of  the  bookbinders'  customers  know  nothing 
whatever  of  bookbinding  good  or  bad,  requiring  only  that 
their  volumes  shall  present  a  gorgeous  appearance  to  the  eye. 
Consequently  the  ordinary  binder  is  rarely  called  upon  to  pay 
those  minute  attentions  to  detail  demanded  by  a  hypercritical 
collector.  Bibliophiles  are  bom,  not  made,  and  it  were  foolish 
to  expect  that  every  bookbinder  has  the  love  of  books  at 
heart.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it  is  our  own  fault  if  the 
binder  goes  wrong,  for  it  means  that  our  instructions  have 
been  either  too  meagre  or  lacking  in  a  knowledge  of  technical 
detail. 

When  sending  a  book  to  the  binder,  definite  instructions 
should  always  be  enclosed.  The  details  should  be  set  forth 
clearly  on  a  slip  accompanying  the  volume.  It  should  be 
stated : 

(i)  Whether  the  book  is  to  be  bound  in  pigskin,   vellum,   or 
roorocco  (Levant,  Niger,  smooth  or  rough  grained), 
(ii)  The  colour. 

And  here  let  me  say  that  it  is  always  better  to  choose  the 
leather  (the  actual  skin)  oneself.  The  binder  will  make  up 
two  little  books,  lettered  with  the  collector's  name  on  the 
cover,  containing  moroccos  of  different  hues  ;  one  he  will  give 
to  the  collector,  the  other  he  will  retain.  As  every  sample  in 
these  books  is  numbered,  when  ordering  it  is  merely  necessary 
to  give  the  number  (written  very  distinctly  !\  It  is  perhaps 
superfluous  to  add  that,  at  the  outset,  the  collector  will  have 
obtained  a  guarantee  from  his  binder  that  only  acid-free  skins 
shall  be  used  in  binding  his  books.  And  he  will  also  be 
careful  to  avoid  selecting  the  very  bright  tints,  such  skins  not 
being  so  durable  as  those  of  more  sombre  hue. 

(iii)  Whether  quarter,  half,  or  whole  binding. 


140  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

(iv)  If  quarter  or  half  binding,  whether  the  sides  are  to  be 
covered  with  cloth  (buckram  or  linen,  and  colour)  or  paper 
{marbled  or  plain,  and  colour). 

(v)  Treatment  of  the  edges:  whether  top  edge  gilt  (t.e.g.),  all 
edges  gilt,  gilt  on  red,  gilt  on  the  rough,  marbled,  sprinkled, 
yellow,  red,  or  blue  edges  (the  last  two  very  effective  on  folio 
books  bound  in  pigskin),  edges  trimmed  or  untrimmed,  uncoloured, 
etc. 

(vi)  Round  or  square  back. 

(vii)  Solid  or  hollow  back. 

(viii)  Round  or  square  raised  bands,  big  or  small,  or  '  no  bands' 
{i.e.  not  showing). 

(ix)  End-papers  (white,  plain  coloured  or  marbled). 

(x)  Whether,  in  the  case  of  a  large  book,  it  is  to  have  cloth 
joints  (inside  the  covers). 

(xi)  Design  in  gold  or  blind  tooling  on  sides  and  back. 

(xii)  Lettering  on  back.  This  should  be  given  in  capital  letters 
precisely  as  it  is  desired  to  appear.  If  any  lettering  is  required  in 
a  panel  other  than  the  title-panel  (second  from  top),  it  should  be 
stated  which  one ;  the  number  of  the  volume  or  the  author's  name 
is  put  sometimes  in  the  third  panel  from  the  top  and  sometimes 
in  the  fourth. 

(xiii)  Leaves  to  be  mended,  cleaned,  or  pressed;  and  any 
directions  regarding  illustrations,  maps,  etc. 

A  goodly  list?  Yes,  but  a  necessary  one  unless  one  is 
content  to  leave  these  things  to  the  binder's  discretion.  He 
may  be  one  of  the  two  who  are  said  to  possess  *  a  sense  of 
design  and  harmony  of  colour  * ;  but  unless  the  collector  has 
enclosed  instructions  as  to  all  these  points,  if  on  its  return 
the  appearance  of  the  book  displease  him  he  has  only  himself 
to  blame. 

The  care  which  the  book-lover  bestows  upon  his  volumes 
should  not  end,  however,  when  they  return  from  the  binder. 
Unless  attended  to  from  time  to  time  a  leather  binding — 
however  good  the  leather — will  perish,  probably,  within  a 
lifetime.     Vellum,  apparently,  is  everlasting,  provided  it  be 


The  Care  of  Books  141 

kept  away  from  the  light  and  not  exposed  to  great  changes 
of  weather  or  temperature.  But  pigskin,  goatskin,  and  of 
course  calf,  in  time  lose  by  evaporation  certain  fats  which  are 
inherent  in  the  leather.  Some  collectors  use  furniture-polish 
or  brown  boot-polish  to  brighten  up  dingy  old  bindings,  and 
this  certainly  has  a  pleasing  (and  often  surprising)  effect.  But 
it  is  a  bad  practice,  for  the  polish  hardens  the  leather,  which 
soon  cracks  worse  than  before.  '  It  would  add  immensely  to 
the  life  of  old  leather  bindings,'  writes  Mr.  Cockerell,  '  if 
librarians  would  have  them  treated,  say  once  a  year,  with 
some  preservative.'  And  he  goes  on  to  recommend  that  the 
bindings  be  rubbed  over  with  a  solution  of  paraffin  wax 
dissolved  in  castor  oil.  Our  book-hunter  has  used  a  prepara- 
tion of  glycerine  for  some  years  with  success,  but  the  paraffin 
wax  promises  to  evaporate  less  rapidly.  Old  calf  bindings 
should  be  treated  at  least  once  every  year. 

What  shall  we  do  with  our  volumes  in  '  original  boards, 
uncut '  when  their  paper  backs  become  tattered,  their  labels 
illegible?  Is  there  no  other  treatment  for  them  than  a  visit 
to  the  binder's?  That  depends  entirely  upon  one's  energy, 
one's  capacity  for  taking  pains,  one's  neatness  of  finger,  and 
the  time  at  one's  disposal.  As  I  have  said,  the  pleasure  in 
handhng  volumes  so  attired  is  sufficient  excuse  for  a  desire 
to  retain  them  in  their  original  condition  as  long  as  possible. 
There  is  a  facility  in  opening,  a  lightness  in  holding,  and  a 
simple  charm  in  their  appearance  that  is  unknown  to  their 
more  richly  clad  brethren.  Our  book-hunter  for  his  part  has 
long  since  given  up  sending  such  volumes  to  the  binder's. 
Let  the  adept  exercise  his  craft  upon  tomes  in  worn-out 
leather  bindings  ;  with  the  repairing  of  books  in  their  original 
boards  our  amateur  himself  will  deal. 

It  is  not  a  difficult  matter,  and  it  can  be  done  by  the 
bibliophile  at  home.  The  first  requisites  are  some  sheets  of 
strong,  tough  paper,  brown  and  coloured.  These  can  be 
procured  for  a  few  pence  from  any  paper-merchant  or  place 
where  they  sell  wrapping-paper.       A  pot   of   '  Stickphast  * 


142  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

paste,  a  pencil,  a  ruler,  a  pocket-knife,  and  a  pair  of  scissors 
are  the  accessories.  Sometimes  it  is  necessary  only  to  re-back 
the  volume.  This  is  a  simple  matter.  First  of  all  the  tattered 
paper  on  the  back  is  scraped  off,  then  a  strip  of  brown  or 
coloured  paper  is  cut  the  required  width  and  an  inch  and  a  half 
longer  than  the  height  of  the  volume.  Cover  the  strip  with 
paste,  then  take  the  volume  in  your  left  hand  and  paste 
the  back  and  half  an  inch  on  to  the  sides,  having  first  of  all 
placed  a  sheet  of  clean  paper,  slightly  larger  than  the  book, 
inside  the  cover  at  each  end  (i.e.  under  the  boards).  This  is 
to  prevent  soiling. 

Now  press  the  back  of  the  book  on  to  the  strip,  lying  on  the 
table  ready  pasted,  so  that  it  adheres ;  and  with  your  right 
hand  press  the  sides  of  the  strip  over  on  to  the  sides  of  the 
book.  Experience  will  quickly  teach  you  that  if  you  use 
too  much  paste  you  will  make  a  mess ;  whilst  if  you  use  too 
little  the  strip  will  not  stick.  If  the  paper  is  very  thick  it  is 
necessary  to  rub  the  paste  well  into  it. 

Next  put  the  back  of  the  book  upon  the  table  (which  we 
trust  you  have  covered  with  a  newspaper)  and  allow  the  boards 
to  fall  flat,  holding  the  leaves  upright.  Now  comes  the  tricky 
part  of  the  business :  you  have  got  to  fold  the  projecting  ends 
of  the  new  back  over  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  boards  and 
under  the  body  of  the  book.  If  this  is  not  quite  lucid,  get 
a  volume  in  boards  and  hold  it  as  we  have  directed,  you  will 
soon  see  what  is  meant.  It  is  a  ticklish  operation  and  the 
paper  is  easily  torn  if  too  thin  or  too  damp.  It  also  requires 
some  patience,  for  probably  you  will  find  that  the  strip  has 
come  away  from  the  sides  during  your  manipulations.  Press 
it  down  again  and  do  the  other  end.  Pressing  and  pulling 
gently  and  kneading  are  the  secrets  of  success.  A  small 
rubber  squeegee  such  as  photographers  use  is  useful  here. 
With  it  you  can  press  out  the  superfluous  paste  under  the 
sides  of  the  strip ;  but  it  must  be  used  cautiously  and  not  too 
hard. 

Now  close  the  volume,  not  forgetting  to  insert  sheets  of 


The  Care  of  Books  143 

clean  paper  between  boards  and  leaves  at  either  end,  take  it 
up  again  in  your  left  hand,  and  pat  and  finger  it  carefully 
till  you  are  satisfied  that  all  is  well.  Then  remove  a  volume 
of  similar  thickness  from  a  rather  tightly  packed  shelf,  and 
insert  your  patient  in  its  place  as  far  as  the  strip.  Leave  it 
here  to  dry  for  at  least  twenty-four  hours. 

If  the  original  paper  label  is  legible  and  intact,  it  can  be 
easily  soaked  off  the  tattered  back,  though  you  may  have  to 
operate  first  of  all  with  the  pocket-knife  to  remove  it  entire 
from  the  book.  Press  it  between  blotting-paper  and  allow  it 
to  dry  naturally.  When  the  new  back  is  dry  (not  before)  the 
label  may  be  pasted  on  to  it.  If,  however,  the  label  is  missing 
or  too  tattered  to  be  of  service,  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to 
write  another  one  with  your  best  penmanship,  copying  the 
original,  if  you  have  it,  in  facsimile.  Such  labels  should  be 
written  with  Indian  {waterproof)  ink  upon  rather  thin  paper 
of  a  different  colour  from  the  back.  Light  buff  is  the  most 
useful  colour,  though  pale  blue  and  light  g^een  can  be  used 
sometimes  with  advantage. 

Should  you  wish  to  meike  your  work  look  extra  neat,  and 
to  disguise  the  fact  that  the  volume  has  been  rebacked,  it  is 
possible  sometimes  to  raise  the  end-papers  at  the  inner  corners 
of  the  boards,  so  that  the  projecting  ends  of  the  backing-strip 
may  be  tucked  under.     So  much  for  rebacking. 

Sometimes,  however,  the  boards  are  too  dirty  or  broken  to 
be  retained,  or  some  of  the  boards  in  a  set  of  volumes  zire 
missing.  Then  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  provide  new 
boards  or  patch  up  and  re-cover  the  old  ones.  Here  again  the 
labour  is  not  very  great.  New  boards  may  be  cut  from  a 
cardboard  box  of  suitable  size  and  thickness.  Those  used  by 
dressmakers  are  not  very  suitable,  the  card  being  generally 
too  soft.  If  your  volume  lacks  one  or  both  boards,  paste  the 
back  with  stickphast,  and  then  press  on  to  it  a  strip  of  very 
thin  linen  (a  strip  torn  from  an  old  cambric  handkerchief 
serves  admirably)  about  two  inches  wider  than  the  back  and 
an  inch  shorter  than  the  height  of  the  book.     The  linen  will 


144  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

project  an  inch  on  either  side  of  the  back.  Now  put  the 
volume  aside  to  dry. 

When  the  back  is  dry,  having  provided  suitable  boards, 
paste  the  linen  sides  on  the  underside  of  each  board,  i.e.  so 
that  when  the  book  is  shut,  the  linen  is  between  leaves  and 
board.  The  best  way  to  do  this  is  to  take  a  volume  of 
similar  thickness,  cover  it  with  newspaper,  and  place  it  flat 
upon  the  table  with  its  fore-edge  to  the  back  of  the  *  patient.* 
Then  lay  the  board  on  the  supporting  volume,  and  so  paste 
the  linen  to  it.  Do  one  side  after  the  other,  stand  the  book 
'  ajar,'  and  allow  to  dry.  Now  you  may  proceed  just  as  in 
re-backing,  covering  the  boards  first  of  all  by  pasting  over 
them  a  rather  thin  but  opaque  paper.  You  will  find  the 
squeegee  useful  here.  These  side-papers  are  measured  and 
cut  one  inch  larger  than  the  volume  at  head,  foot,  and  fore- 
edge.  The  projecting  edges  are  folded  over  the  boards  and 
rubbed  down  with  the  squeegee.  The  corners  need  some 
attention  and  pressing. 

When  you  have  re-backed  your  book  and  all  is  dry,  you  will 
have  to  provide  it  with  end-papers.  Any  opaque  white  paper 
will  do,  provided  it  is  not  too  stiff.  That  used  for  lining  chests 
of  drawers  will  answer  the  purpose,  though  a  paper  of  slightly 
better  quality  is  preferable.  Measure  it  carefully  about 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  less  at  head  and  foot  than  the  height  of 
the  book.  You  need  not  trouble  about  the  width :  so  long 
as  the  free  edge  projects  beyond  the  fore-edge  when  you  close 
the  book  it  can  be  cut  level  afterwards.  Do  not  use  too  much 
paste,  and  crease  the  paper  carefully  along,  and  slightly  into, 
the  *  joint  *  with  an  ivory  paperknife.  Do  not  close  the  book 
until  it  is  dry. 

Whenever  you  may  have  occasion  to  add  new  end-papers, 
remember  to  preserve  all  indications  of  the  pedigree  of  your 
book,  by  which  I  mean  traces  of  previous  ownership.  If 
there  be  a  bookplate,  soak  it  off,  and  when  dry  paste  it  inside 
the  end  cover.  If  there  be  autographs  of  interest  on  the 
boards,  soak  the  paper  off,  cut  out  the  writing  and  paste  it 


The  Care  of  Books  145- 

back    again   when  you   have   finished    the   book. 

When  you  have  provided  your  volume  with  new  boards, 
however,  you  may  prefer  to  clothe  it  in  a  '  whole  binding  '  ; 
that  is,  to  use  a  single  piece  of  paper  to  cover  both  back  and 
sides.  This  is  slightly  more  difficult  and  some  little  patience 
is  needed ;  but  when  successfully  accomplished  the  effect 
repays  one  amply.  Lay  your  book  on  a  sheet  of  coloured 
paper,  so  that  the  boards  are  flat  whilst  you  are  holding  the 
leaves  perpendicularly  ;  then  pencil  and  rule  lines  all  round,, 
leaving  a  margin  of  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  Cut  out 
this  piece,  paste  it,  paste  the  back  and  boards,  and  lay  the 
book  down  again  on  the  paper  just  as  you  did  to  begin  with. 
The  book  is  held  in  this  position  with  either  hand  whilst  the 
edges  are  turned  up  over  the  boards.  It  takes  a  little  practice, 
and  one  requires  some  experience  in  the  shrinkage  of  the 
paper  used.  Old  boards  that  have  their  corners  broken  can 
be  easily  repaired  by  the  use  of  plenty  of  paste  rubbed  well 
into  the  breaks,  and  by  using  fairly  strong  covering  paper. 

There  is  another  matter  of  which  mention  must  be  made 
here,  for  it  is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the  binding  of  books,  and 
that  is  cleaning,  or  washing,  as  it  is  generally  called.  Often 
one  comes  across  leaves  in  a  volume  that  are  stained  or  spotted, 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  spoil  the  appearance  of  the  book  which, 
otherwise  is  perfect.  Such  blemishes  can  usually  be  removed 
when  the  volume  is  rebound.  Either  it  is  not  such  a  difficult 
matter  as  many  who  have  written  of  these  things  would  have 
us  believe,  or  else  our  book-hunter  has  been  singularly 
fortunate.  For  he  confesses  to  having  achieved  considerable 
success  in  this  direction.  Like  all  other  matters  involving 
care  and  thoroughness,  it  takes  a  good  deal  of  time,  and  no 
small  amount  of  trouble  ;  but  apart  from  these  considerations 
there  is  no  reason  why  any  bibliophile  endowed  with  patience 
and  a  capacity  for  taking  pains,  should  not  attend  to  the 
washing  of  his  more  '  grubby  *  volumes  himself. 

It  is  not  the  writer's  intention  here  to  go  into  the  various 
processes    employed,   for    that    has    been    done    already  by 


146  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

experienced  bookbinders  ;  but  perhaps  the  methods  which  he 
has  employed  successfully  may  be  of  interest  and,  possibly,  of 
some  use  to  beginners. 

Perhaps  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  your  first 
experiments  should  be  made  upon  books  of  no  value  whatever, 
preferably  volumes  that  have  been  picked  out  of  the  penny 
tub  for  this  purpose.  You  will  also  have  procured  (if  indeed 
you  do  not  already  possess)  a  copy  ot  Mr.  Douglas  Cockerell's 
invaluable  little  book  which  I  have  already  mentioned,  and 
have  studied  it  as  has  been  suggested  above.  Mr.  Zaehnsdorf's 
work  also  contains  a  chapter  on  this  subject. 

The  paraphernalia  required  are  not  numerous  or  expensive, 
for  they  consist  merely  of  three  or  four  wide-mouthed  glass- 
stoppered  bottles  in  which  to  store  your  chemicals,  and  a  few 
photographer's  developing  dishes  (the  deep  ones,  of  white 
porcelain)  of  a  suitable  size  for  octavo,  quarto,  or  folio  leaves. 

Obviously  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  remove  from  the  book 
the  leaf  or  leaves  that  require  cleaning.  Unless,  like  Gerard 
de  Leew,  the  Antwerp  printer,  you  are  *  a  man  of  grete 
wysedom  in  all  maner  of  kunnyng,'  you  will  not  attempt  to 
clean  the  leaves  of  a  book  in  situ.  In  fact  he  would  be  a 
very  brave  (or  foolish)  man  who,  without  great  experience, 
tried  to  remove  any  sort  of  stain  from  a  page  without  removing 
the  leaf  first  of  all.  Our  own  experience  is  that  it  is  better 
to  pull  the  whole  book  to  pieces — or  rather  take  it  to  pieces, 
for  the  word  *  pull '  in  this  connection  makes  one  shudder. 
Carefully  cut  the  threads  that  hold  the  quires  to  the  bands, 
and  little  by  little  remove  each  quire.  If  the  book  is  in  an 
old  leather  binding,  with  a  solid  back,  your  task  will  be  no 
easy  one,  for  it  is  necessary  to  scrape  away  the  glue  from  the 
back  after  it  has  been  damped.  A  cloth  dipped  in  very  hot 
water  and  wrung  out  tightly  is  sometimes  of  use  here,  but 
you  must  use  the  greatest  caution. 

Having  removed  the  leaf,  or  rather  sheet  of  four  pages 
(we  will  suppose  that  the  volume  has  been  '  cut  *)  that  requires 
cleaning,  you  have  now  to  diagnose  its  complaint  and  prescribe 


The  Care  of  Books  147 

the  correct  remedy,  which  you  will  have  learnt  from  the  text- 
books we  have  mentioned.  But  if  the  leaf  is  not  merely 
stained  in  part,  but  altogether  brown  and  discoloured,  the 
following  treatment  probably  will  prove  efficacious.  Put  half 
an  ounce  of  permanganate  of  potash  in  a  jug  that  holds  about 
a  pint  and  a  half,  and  fill  it  up  with  hot  water.  Stir  with  a 
piece  of  wood  until  the  permanganate  is  dissolved.  Then  lay 
your  sheet  in  a  developing  dish  and  pour  the  hot  solution  in 
gently,  taking  care  that  there  are  no  bubbles  and  that  the 
leaf  is  completely  covered.  At  the  end  of  five  minutes  (or  ten 
if  the  paper  is  thick  and  heavily  sized)  pour  back  the  liquid 
into  the  jug,  and,  holding  the  dish  over  a  sink,  let  cold  water 
run  across  it  in  a  gentle  stream  until  all  the  permanganate  is 
washed  away. 

The  leaf  will  now  be  stained  a  deep  brown.  Stand  the 
dish  on  end  (the  leaf  of  course  sticks  to  the  bottom  of  the 
dish)  to  drain  while  you  prepare  the  bleaching  part  of  the 
operation.  Now  take  a  similar  jug,  put  half  an  ounce  of 
oxalic  acid  into  it,  and  again  fill  up  with  hot  water.  Pour 
this  (hot  but  not  boiling)  over  the  leaf  as  before.  When  the 
leaf  is  as  white  as  the  dish  itself,  which  will  take  from  five 
minutes  to  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  pour  off  the  solution  and 
wash  the  surplus  fluid  away.     Then  let  the  leaf  wash  in  gently  ^Ji  ^^  ^ 

running  water  for  one  hour.  Our  book-hunter  always  uses 
the  bath  for  this  purpose,  but  a  tin  foot-bath  under  a  tap  does 
excellently.  The  best  way  to  dry  the  leaf  is  to  press  it  gently 
between  two  sheets  of  unused  blotting-paper,  then  remove  the 
upper  sheet  and  allow  the  leaf  to  dry  naturally.  Remember, 
however,  that  after  any  washing  or  bleaching,  leaves  must 
always  be  '  sized  '  to  give  back  to  the  paper  that  substance 
which  the  washing  has  taken  out.  You  will  find  full  instruc- 
tions for  doing  this  in  the  text-books  I  have  mentioned. 
It  is  quite  a  simple  matter. 

Mr.  Cockerell  recommends  that  the  permanganate  bath 
be  only  '  warmed  slightly,'  and  that  the  leaf  be  left  in  it  for 
*  about  an  hour.'     Our  book-hunter  has  found  (fortunately  not 


148  The  Book-Htinter  at  Home 

to  his  cost,  for  the  volumes  which  he  used  for  experimental 
purposes  were  valueless)  that  this  sometimes  rots  the  paper, 
and  on  one  occasion  the  leaves  at  the  end  of  an  hour  came 
to  pieces  when  the  solution  was  poured  off.  If  used  hot  and 
quickly  it  does  not  seem  to  injure  the  paper,  but  the  water 
must  never  be  so  hot  that  you  cannot  bear  your  finger  in  it, 
and  you  must  take  care  never  to  use  a  stronger  solution.  A 
strong  solution  of  permanganate  will  reduce  paper  to  pulp  in 
a  few  minutes.  For  similar  reasons  our  bookman  prefers 
oxalic  to  sulphurous  acid,  but  this  too  must  never  be  used 
stronger  than  I  have  indicated.  I  hasten  to  add,  how- 
ever, in  deference  to  such  an  excellent  authority,  that  our 
book-hunter  does  not  recommend,  but  merely  states  the 
methods  with  which  he  personally  has  been  successful. 

The  most  difficult  stains  to  remov'e  that  the  writer  has  yet 
come  across  are  those  made  by  a  child's  paint-box.  Some 
colours  are  easily  removed,  but  seventeenth-century  gamboge 
is  a  perfect  beast.  The  only  successful  way  to  deal  with 
these  '  stains  '  is  by  studying  the  chemistry  of  the  *  colours,' 
and  the  re-actions  of  the  chemicals  of  which  they  are  made. 
With  a  little  experimenting  there  is  no  reason  why  any  of 
these  pigments  should  not  be  removed  successfully,  and  at 
some  future  period  of  leisure  our  book-hunter  hopes  to  record 
his  own  experiences  in  this  matter. 

Here  a  word  of  warning.  Do  not  handle  permanganate  of 
potash  in  the  room  where  your  bleached  leaves  are  drying. 
If  you  do  probably  you  will  be  annoyed  to  find  small  purple 
specks  on  the  leaves  where  the  fine  permanganate  dust  has 
settled.  It  is  unpleasant  stuff  to  use,  and  stains  everything 
with  which  it  comes  into  contact.  Undoubtedly  it  is  at  its 
best  in  a  closely  stoppered  bottle.  Rubber  gloves  would  be 
useful,  if  they  did  not  make  one  '  all  thumbs.'  Remember 
that  oxalic  acid  will  remove  the  stains  from  your  hands  just 
as  well  as  from  paper — also  that  it  bleaches  carpets.  (Item, 
don't  conduct  your  operations  in  the  dining-room.)  The  best 
thing  with  which  to  handle  the  leaves  when  wet  is  a  broad 


The  Care  of  Books  149 

flat  bone  paper-knife  with  smooth  edges.  On  various 
occasions  when  our  bookman  has  not  had  time  to  complete 
the  bleaching  process,  he  has  dried  the  leaves  in  their  brown 
state  and  put  them  aside  for  a  week  before  bleaching.  So  far 
he  has  not  found  this  to  have  any  ill  effect  on  the  paper, 
though  possibly  if  kept  for  a  longer  period — especially  if  they 
got  damp — the  permanganate  might  rot  them. 

A  very  hot  and  strong  solution  of  alum  I  have  used  with 
success  for  leaves  that  are  more  dirty  than  stained,  and  do 
not  really  require  bleaching.  Ether  is  excellent  for  stains  of 
a  greasy  nature,  though  some  may  prefer  the  stains  to  the 
vapour  which  it  gives  off.  With  hydrochloric  acid,  so  strongly 
recommended  by  some,  I  have  never  had  any  success.  If 
used  strong  it  destroys  the  paper,  and  if  used  weak  the  leaf 
has  to  be  left  in  it  for  so  long  as  to  reduce  the  paper  almost 
to  a  pulp.  Remember  that  as  a  general  rule,  the  shorter  the 
process  of  washing  the  better.  Long  immersion  tends  to  rot 
the  fibres  of  the  paper.  With  regard  to  staining  the  leaf  so 
as  to  match  the  rest  of  the  book,  our  book-hunter  generally 
uses  a  solution  of  cigarettes  (Virginians  are  quite  the  best). 
Possibly  this  is  a  very  bad  practice,  but  at  least  it  is  effective, 
the  stain  diffuses  easily,  and  it  can  be  regulated  to  any  shade. 
Coffee  is  recommended  by  some. 

Thumb-marks  and  the  stains  of  dirty  fingers  are  best 
removed  by  rubbing  them  lightly  (and  very  carefully)  with 
one  of  those  disc-shaped  erasers  used  by  typists.  These 
erasers  remove  the  surface  of  the  paper,  so  they  must  be  used 
with  extreme  caution.* 

There  is  yet  another  byway  of  book-collecting  which  we 
must  study  before  we  may  graduate  in  book-lore.     To  the 


•  The  writer  possesses  a  copy  of  the  first  edition  of  "  Mr.  Sponge's  Sporting 
Tour,"  which  is  a  perfect  museum.  At  some  period  of  its  existence  it  was 
relegated  to  the  harness-room  ;  and  its  leaves  bear  the  insignia  of  almost  every 
known  preparation  used  in  dressing  boots,  harness,  saddles,  buckles,  dogs, 
horses'  hoofs,  and  human  hair.  Not  for  all  the  wealth  of  the  Indies  would 
he  remove  a  single  stain.  Most  of  them  have  been  identified  by  his  friends 
(it  is  feared  with  more  regard  for  humour  than  accuracy)  in  marginal  notes. 
Sherlock  Holmes  would  certainly  have  considered  it  worthy  of  a  monograph. 


150  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

uninitiated  the  word  '  bibliography  '  conveys  little  more  than 
a  mere  writing  about  books.  But  it  is  a  vast  study,  and,  if 
we  are  to  become  proficient  in  it,  one  that  will  occupy  us  for 
many  years. 

For  the  specialist  there  is  no  more  delightful  pursuit  than 
the  compilation  of  a  bibliography  upon  the  subject  of  his 
choice.  Not  only  will  it  give  him  a  sound  bibliographical 
knowledge  of  the  books  which  he  desires  and  hopes  ultimately 
to  possess,  but  it  will  enable  him  to  collate  immediately  every 
volume  that  he  acquires.  It  will  also  open  up  a  new  field  of 
interest  for  the  young  collector,  for  he  will  be  constrained  to 
study  books  from  their  material  aspect ;  and  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  '  natural  history  '  of  the  book  will  come  a  regard  for 
the  well-being  of  his  volumes.  So  also  will  he  be  brought 
into  touch  with  modern  methods  of  bibliography,  and  he  will 
certainly  find  an  additional  interest  in  his  books. 

The  main  objects  of  bibliography  are,  briefly,  to  determine 
(i)  Whether  a  book  is  genuine. 

(ii)  Whether  it  is  complete  and  perfect. 

(iii)  Whether  it  is  in  its  original  condition,  i.e.  as  it  issued 
from  the  press. 

(iv)  Whether  it  has  been  made  up  by  the  insertion  of  leaves 
or  quires  from  another  copy  or  edition. 

(v)  To  provide  a  standard  collation  (i.e.  an  accurate 
description  of  the  book  in  its  original  state)  with  which  other 
copies  may  be  compared.  For  the  purpose  of  the  specialist 
we  may  add 

(vi)  To  provide  a  bibliographical  catalogue  of  those  books 
in  which  he  is  especially  interested. 

All  this  may  sound  very  simple,  but  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  where  no  standard  collation  is  available,  the  only 
method  of  providing  one  is  by  a  diligent,  thorough,  and 
precise  study  of  the  leaves,  quires,  watermarks  and  '  make  up  ' 
of  a  number  of  copies.  As  these  things  frequently  vary 
considerably  in  different  copies  of  the  same  book,  the  task  of 
standardising  a  collation  is  by  no  means  an  easy  one.     The 


The  Care  of  Books  151 

difficulties  that  beset  one  in  the  case  of  early-printed  books 
are  immense ;  but  with  the  inconstancies  of  incunabula  we 
are  not  concerned  here. 

It  is  easily  begun,  this  making  of  a  bibliography,  and  it  is  a 
delightful  hobby,  though  necessarily  it  takes  up  a  good  deal 
of  time.  The  plan  which  our  book-hunter  adopted  is  as 
follows,  and  it  has  been  so  successful  and  valuable  to  him  that 
he  has  no  hesitation  in  recommending  it.  First  of  all  he 
procured  a  card-index  box  capable  of  holding  about  a  thousand 
cards.  Upon  these  he  entered  the  books  as  he  came  across 
them  in  catalogues  of  all  sorts,  under  the  authors'  names. 
Thus: 

DIAGO  (FRANCISCO) 

Historia  de  los  Antiquos  Condes  de  Barcelona 

Fo :   Barcelona,  1603. 

After  each  he  generally  pencils  the  price  and  bookseller, 
or  other  authority  for  the  book's  existence ;  but  this  is  for 
his  own  guidance  only,  and  is  by  the  way.  A  fresh  card  is 
used  for  every  book.  This  forms  a  rough  index  of  every  work 
upon  his  subject  with  which  he  is  acquainted. 

Now  for  the  bibliography  proper.  For  this  our  bookman 
uses  single  sheets  of  paper,  eight  inches  by  five,  ruled  with 
feint  lines.  These  are  contained  in  a  *  spring-back  '  port- 
folio, thus  forming  a  handy  volume  in  which  pages  can  be 
inserted  anywhere  at  will.  At  the  top  of  the  page  he  writes 
the  author's  nzmae,  just  as  for  the  index,  and  beneath  this 
(leaving  a  line  blank)  he  copies  the  title-page  of  the  book 
in  extenso,  using  red  ink  for  red  print,  capitals  where  capitals 
occur,  and  underlining  those  words  which  are  in  italics.  The 
end  of  each  hne  is  indicated  by  a  vertical  stroke.  Then  follows 
a  complete  collation  of  the  book.  The  following  illustration, 
however,  will  convey  a  better  idea  than  can  be  given  in  words. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  after  the  size  (which  is  given  in  the 
English    notation)    the    measurement    of   the    title-page    in 


152  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

millimetres  is  added  within  parentheses.  If  more  than  one 
copy  has  been  examined  this  measurement  is  of  the  largest. 
The  reason  why  the  form-notation  is  given  as  well  as  the 
actual  size,  is  because  it  is  easier  to  carry  the  form-notation  in 
one's  head. 

BASNAGE  (JACQUES; 

DISSERTATION     |     HISTORIQUE     |     SUR  LES 
DUELS  I  ET  LES  ORDRES  [  DE  |  CHEVALERIE.  | 
PAR  MONSIEUR  B...  |  (printer's  device)  |  A  AMSTER 
DAM,  I  Chez  PIERRE  BRUNEL,  sur  le  Dam  |  a  la  Bible 
d'or.  I  M.DCC.XX. 

12°  (155  X  95),  Amsterdam,  1720.     pp  :  xvi,  163,  x. 

Title.  '  Avertissement '  (lOpp).  Contents  (4pp.).  Pp : 
1-163  Text.  Then  ten  pages  (unnumbered)  containing  the 
'  Table  des  Matieres,'  which  begins  on  page  163  (b).  At  the 
end  is  a  blank  leaf,  completing  quire  L.  Reg :  Prelim : 
# #8  ;  Text  and  Index  A L8,  in  eights.  [A]. 

The  author,  Jacques  Basnage  de  Franquenet,  was  born  at  Rouen 
in  1653,  studied  at  Saumur,  Geneva,  and  Sedan,  and  became  a 
Protestant  minister  in  his  native  town.  On  the  Revocation  of  the 
Edict  of  Nantes  he  retired  to  Rotterdam,  where  he  devoted  his 
life  to  literary  researches.  He  died  at  the  Hague  in  1723.  For 
his  great  reputation  as  a  skilful  diplomatist,  see  Voltaire's  '  Age 
of  Louis  XIV.' 

Another  edition  of  this  work  was  published  in  octavo  at  Basle 
in  1740. 

Whenever  our  book-hunter  has  an  afternoon  to  spare, 
pocketing  a  handful  of  cards  from  the  index  he  sets  off  for 
the  British  Museum  (or  wherever  he  may  happen  to  be 
working  at  the  time,  where  access  may  be  had  to  the  volumes 
he  requires)  and  settles  himself  to  collate  and  copy  title-pages. 
But  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  collation  of  any  volume 


The  Care  of  Books  153 

cannot  be  considered  as  *  standard  '  until  at  least  three  copies 
of  the  book  have  been  examined,  all  of  which  are  identical. 
The  majority  of  the  common  books  printed  after  the  year 
1600  vary  not  at  all  in  their  make  up ;  and  having  once 
collated  such  a  volume,  the  comparison  with  it  of  other  copies 
takes  but  a  very  few  minutes.  Sixteenth-century  books, 
however,  especially  those  printed  in  the  first  half  of  the 
century,  vary  sufficiently  in  their  collations  to  demand  a  much 
more  careful  scrutiny.  If  the  volume  under  examination  is 
a  book  of  which  different  copies  vary  considerably,  you  must 
naturally  be  exceedingly  cautious  in  declaring  that  your 
collation  represents  the  form  in  which  the  book  was  issued 
from  the  press.  It  is  quite  possible  that  you  will  find 
differences  in  each  of  six  copies. 

At  the  end  of  each  collation  our  book-hunter  puts  a  letter 
or  letters  in  brackets  to  denote  the  habitations  of  the  copies 
he  has  examined,  the  tallest  copy  (of  which  the  title-page's 
measurements  are  given)  being  distinguished  by  an  asterisk ; 
thus :  A,  B*,  N.  *  A  '  represents  our  book-hunter's  own  copy, 
'  B  '  that  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  '  N  '  that  in  the  Biblio- 
theque  Nationale  ;  and  so  on.  Mention,  of  course,  from  which 
copy  the  collation  has  been  taken  is  made  in  the  text ;  or, 
if  you  prefer  it,  you  may  denote  this,  so  that  it  may  be  seen 
at  a  glance,  by  entering  the  necessary  distinguishing  letter 
in  red  ink. 

As  I  have  said,  it  is  a  fascinating  pursuit,  but  unless  the 
subject  in  which  you  specialise  is  a  narrow  one,  you  may  be 
overwhelmed  by  the  magnitude  of  the  task.  Take  heed  that 
you  do  not  undertake  more  than  you  have  time  or  opportunity 
to  complete ;  or  else,  embarking  upon  a  labour  of  Hercules 
you  may  liken  yourself  to  Sisyphus.  Mazzuchelli  began  *  Gli 
Scrittori  d' Italia,'  but  succeeded  in  finishing  only  the  first 
two  letters  of  the  alphabet.  The  temptation  to  leave  behind 
us  some  great  work  by  which  our  name  will  become  in  time 
a  household  word,  is  doubtless  a  great  one  ;  but  gigantic 
though  our  magnum  opus  may  be  in  our  own  estimation,  it 


154  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

does  not  follow  that  others  will  set  a  like  value  upon  it,  or, 
indeed,  upon  the  labours  of  its  author.  Jean  de  la  Haye,  the 
preacher  in  ordinary  to  Anne  of  Austria,  published  his  Bib  Ha 
maxima  in  nineteen  folio  volumes  ;  but,  says  the  bibliographer, 
*  no  part  of  it  is  esteemed  except  the  Prolegomena,  and  even 
they  are  too  diffuse.'  Louis  Barbier  gained  the  confidence  of 
the  Duke  of  Orleans  by  his  great  tact  (which  probably 
amounted  to  servility)  and  skill  in  repeating  the  tales  of 
Rabelais.  Mazarin  appointed  him  Bishop  of  Langres  for 
having  betrayed  his  master.  When  he  died  in  1670,  he  left 
a  hundred  crowns  to  whoever  would  write  an  epitaph  worthy 
of  him.     So  Bernard  de  la  Monnoye  wrote  the  following  : 

'  Ci  git  un  tres  grand  personnage, 
Qui  fut  d'un  illustre  lignage, 
Qui  posseda  mille  vertus, 

Qui  ne  trompa  jamais,  qui  fut  tou jours  fort  sage, 
Je  n'en  dirai  pas  d'avantage, 
C'est  trop  mentir  pour  cent  ^cus.' 

But  whether  Bernard  got  the  legacy  history  does  not  relate. 

It  is  astonishing,  however,  what  can  be  accomplished  in 
this  direction  by  diligence.  Le  Clerc,  not  content  with  having 
produced  a  '  Biblioth^que  Universelle  et  Historique,'  laboured 
till  he  had  given  to  the  world  a  *  Biblioth^que  Choisie  '  and 
a  *  Bibliotheque  Ancienne  et  Moderne,*  in  all  eighty-two 
duodecimo  volumes!  Beausobre  and  L'Enfant  compiled  a 
'  Bibliotheque  Germanique,'  comprising  the  period  1720-40 ; 
and  published  it  in  fifty  volumes.  Baillet's  '  Catalogue  des 
Matieres  '  occupies  thirty-five  folio  volumes.  But  of  course 
all  these  were  mere  lists  and  criticisms  of  books,  not  detailed 
bibliographies  of  carefully  collated  works. 

It  is  a  great  gift,  this  gift  of  '  finding  time.'  '  When  I  see 
how  much  Varro  wrote,'  says  St.  Augustine  in  his  *  De 
Civitate  Dei,'  '  I  marvel  much  that  ever  he  had  any  leisure 
to  read ;  and  when  I  perceive  how  many  things  he  read,  I 
marvel  more  that  ever  he  had  any  leisure  to  write.'       The 


The  Care  of  Books  155 

creation  of  opportunity  is  no  lesser  gift,  *  A  wise  man,'  says 
Bacon,  '  will  make  more  opportunities  than  he  finds.' 
Tomaso  de  Andrada,  a  Portuguese  Jesuit,  wrote  his  magnum 
opus  in  a  dungeon,  in  chains,  without  clothes,  with  little  food, 
writing  only  in  the  middle  of  the  day  by  the  help  of  a  faint 
light  which  he  received  through  an  air-hole. 

The  compilation  of  bibliographies  began  early  in  the  history 
of  books,  and  doubtless  grew  out  of  the  catalogues  which  the 
early  printers  put  forth.  Conrad  von  Gesner  compiled  a 
'  Bibliotheca  Universalis  '  which  was  printed  at  Zurich  in  four 
volumes  between  1545  and  1555.  Francois  Grude  published 
a  '  Biblioth^que  Frangoise '  in  1584.  It  is  a  catalogue  of 
French  authors  and  is  not  confined  to  any  particular  subject, 
but  at  least  it  is  a  step  in  the  direction  of  classification.  From 
that  date  the  number  of  these  invaluable  works  has  steadily 
increased,  and  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century 
L'Abbc  put  forth  the  first  (?)  of  those  useful  book-collector's 
aids,  a  *  Bibliotheca  Bibliothecarum.'  This  interesting  little 
volume  is  really  a  list  of  books  (under  their  authors'  names) 
which  also  contain  lists  of  authors.  As  L'Abb^  says  in  the 
preface  to  his  volume,  so  pleasantly  dedicated  '  Lectoribus 
Philobiblis,'  he  designs  his  book  to  be  a  '  Bibliothecam 
Bibliothecarum,  Catalogum  Catalogorum,  Nomenclatorem 
Nomenclatorum,  Indicem  Indicum,  et  quid  non  ?  *  The  only 
edition  which  I  have  seen  was  printed  at  Paris  in  1664,  but 
the  licence  is  dated  1651.  Another  edition  was  printed  at 
Rouen  in  1672,  a  third  at  Leipzig  in  1682,  and  a  fourth  some 
years  later,  all  in  duodecimo  or  small  octavo. 

Grude' s  book  is  a  choice  one.  It  is  entitled  '  Le  Premier 
Volume  de  La  Bibliotheque  du  Sieur  de  la  Croix-du-Maine : 
Qui  est  un  catalogue  general  de  toutes  sortes  d'Autheurs,  qui 
ont  escrit  en  Francois  depuis  cinq  cents  ans  et  plus  jusques 
a  ce  iourd'huy,'  and  was  published  at  Paris  '  Chez  Abel 
L'Angelier  *  in  1584.  It  is  one  of  those  folio  volumes  printed 
in  large  pica  on  thick  paper  that  delight  the  heart  of  the 
bibliophile  and  are  a  joy  to  handle.       At  the  back  of  the 


156  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

title-page  is  an  oval  portrait  of  Henry  of  Navarre,  dated  1581. 
He  was  not  a  handsome  man,  if  one  may  judge  by  this  portrait, 
in  fact  it  would  be  difficult  to  draw  a  more  repellent  face  ;  yet 
the  book  was  dedicated  to  the  king  in  a  long  '  Epistre  au  Roy  ' 
which  ends  with  the  author's  quaint  anagram  *  Race  du  mans, 
si  fidel  a  son  Roy  *  (Frangois  de  la  Croix  du  Maine).  But 
perhaps  the  portrait  was  omitted  in  the  royal  copy.  The 
work  was  to  have  been  completed  in  three  volumes,  of  which 
the  first  two  were  to  contain  works  published  in  the  vernacular, 
and  the  third  those  printed  in  Latin.  But  alas!  the  author 
left  only  this  first  volume,  which  contains  some  three  thousand 
authors,  with  short  biographies  of  them.  One  hesitates  to 
connect  this  premature  end  of  the  book  (or,  indeed,  the 
author's  assassination  six  years  later)  with  the  unlucky 
portrait!     Altogether  a  very  delightful  volume. 

Nowadays  a  bibliography  that  is  not  at  once  complete, 
detailed,  and  meticulously  accurate  is  of  no  value.  In  this 
critical  age  when  the  methods  of  modern  science  are  applied 
to  books,  it  behoves  the  bibliographer  to  be  careful,  thorough, 
and  precise.  Unless  he  can  bring  these  three  attributes  to 
bear  upon  his  work,  far  better  that  he  should  never  undertake 
it ;  for  the  result  will  be  not  only  valueless  but  misleading,  and 
he  will  certainly  fail  to  obtain  '  that  lasting  fame  and 
perpetuity  of  praise  which  God  and  good  men  have  consented 
shall  be  the  reward  of  those  whose  published  labours  advance 
the  good  of  mankind.' 

There  is  one  small  appendage  of  the  private  library  which 
must  be  mentioned  before  we  close  the  chapter.  A  list  of  the 
prices  which  he  has  paid  for  his  books  forms  a  record  that  is 
indispensable  to  the  book-collector.  It  is  impossible  to  carry 
all  one's  '  bargains  '  in  one's  head,  and  if  pencilled  inside  the 
book  itself  it  is  exposed  to  that  publicity  which  one  naturally 
shuns.  Such  a  record  is  of  something  more  than  curious 
interest,  for  a  knowledge  of  the  rise  or  fall  in  the  price  of 
those  books  in  which  he  is  interested  is  essential  to  the 
collector.       Whenever   he   comes   across,    in    a   bookseller's 


The  Care  of  Books  157 

catalogue,  a  book  that  he  already  possesses,  he  will  like  to 
know  how  the  present  price  compares  with  that  which  he  gave 
for  his  copy. 

A  convenient  shape  for  this  useful  book  is  an  ordinary 
folio  account  book  (our  book-hunter's  measures  15  inches  x  9^ 
inches),  and  it  should  be  ruled  for  *  cash,'  with  an  inner  margin. 
Between  the  inner  margin  and  (outer)  cash  column  he  rules 
two  lines,  dividing  the  middle  of  the  page  into  three  columns, 
of  which  the  left-hand  one  is  the  widest.  The  illustration  over- 
page  will  show  you  precisely  what  is  meant.  At  the  top  of 
each  page  is  placed  a  letter  of  the  alphabet,  and,  immediately 
beneath  or  alongside  this,  the  date  of  a  year.  In  the  inner 
margin  each  line  is  numbered  down  the  page.  In  the  next 
column  is  written  the  author  and  short  title  of  the  book — 
sufficient  to  identify  it — then  the  place  where  it  was  bought, 
then  the  date  when  purchased,  and  in  the  cash  column  the 
price  which  was  paid  for  it. 

In  our  book-hunter's  ledger  the  first  few  pages  are  headed 

e 

(Books  presented  to  me) 
and  the  next  heading  is 

(Books   published   by   instalments^    extending   over   several 

years) 
Then  comes 

A 

1900 

and  so  on,  each  year  having  a  letter  assigned  to  it.* 

Now  for  the  practical  use  of  this  ledger.  Inside  the  front 
cover  of  every  one  of  his  volumes  our  book-hunter  affixes  a 
book-plate ;    and  in  the  left-hand  bottom  corner  of  this  he 

*  I  will  not  venture  to  suggest  that  you  follow  the  example  of  a  book- 
collecting  acquaintance  who  has  an  extra  heading  for  '  Books  that  I  have 
acquired  ! ' 


168  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

writes  the  year-letter  and  number  of  the  book's  entry  in  his 
ledger :  e.g.  A  24,  L  7,  etc.  Thus  supposing  that  one  wishes 
to  find  out  when  and  where  one  acquired  a  certain  book  and 
how  much  was  paid  for  it,  one  has  only  to  raise  the  front  cover 
of  the  volume  in  question,  and  find  its  index  mark.  Suppose 
it  to  be  '  E  28.'  Turning  to  our  ledger  we  find  that  E 
represents  the  year  1904,  and  No.  28  is  the  volume  in  question. 
Similarly  A  24  signifies  No.  24  of  1900,  L  7  is  No.  7  of  1911, 
and  so  on.  If  your  library  be  a  large  one,  and  a  search  for 
the  volume  would  entail  trouble,  you  may  conveniently  pencil 
this  index  mark  against  the  book's  entry  in  your  catalogue, 
but  in  such  a  way  that  it  cannot  be  mistaken  for  the  shelf-mark. 
It  is  as  well  to  write  the  entries  in  the  ledger  upon  the  recto 
of  the  leaves  only,  so  that  the  verso  (being  numbered  like  the 
opposite  recto)  may  be  used  for  recording  the  bindings, 
published  prices,  previous  owners,  etc.,  of  the  volumes  opposite. 
When  all  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  have  been  used  up,  they 
may  be  repeated  doubled,  as  AA  4,  DD  32,  etc. 


C    1902    c 


I. 

2. 

3. 

4- 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

II. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

18. 

19. 

30. 

31. 

33. 

33. 

84. 

35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

29. 
30. 

31- 
32. 

33. 
34- 
35. 
36. 


Fuller's  '  Holy  Warre,'  1647 
Vredius— '  Sigilla  Com.  Flandriae  ' 
Anstis— '  Observations  on  the  Bath ' 


Thorp,  Guildford 
Poynder,  Reading 
Harding,  London 


17th  January 
23rd  January 
3rd  February 


CHAPTER    VII 


BOOKS  OF  THE  COLLECTOR 


'  To   give   subtilty  to   the   simple,   to   the  young   man   knowledge  and 
discretion.' — PROVERBS,   i.   4. 

UST  as  anyone  who  sets  out  to  collect  prints 
or  antiques  must  provide  himself  at  the 
outset  with  certain  books  necessary  for 
obtaining  a  knowledge  of  the  subject,  so 
the  book-collector  must  gather  to  himself 
those  works  which,  if  studied  carefully,  will 
enable  him  to  become  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  objects 
of  his  favourite  pursuit.  To  the  real  collector  there  is  no 
more  delightful  reading  than  the  literature  which  deals  with 
the  subject  he  has  made  his  own ;  and  the  more  ample  and 
specialised  it  be,  the  greater  will  be  his  delight. 

What  bibliophile  has  not  read,  and  read  again,  such  de- 
lightful works  as  Burton's  '  Book  Hunter,'  Blades*  '  Enemies 
of  Books '  and  '  Life  and  Typography  of  William  Caxton,' 
'  The  Library  '  and  '  Books  and  Bookmen  '  by  Andrew  Lang, 
Harrison's  *  Choice  of  Books '  and  '  Among  my  Books,' 
Clark's  '  Cjire  of  Books,'  Edwards'  '  Libraries  and  Founders 
of  Libraries,'  and  many  others  of  equal  charm?  Indeed, 
these  volmnes  may  well  be  among  the  first  that  he  who 
embarks  upon  the  peaceful  sea  of  book-collecting  gathers  to 


Books  of  the  Collector  161 

himself.  Nor  is  there  any  less  fascination  in  the  more 
specialised  works,  such  as  Mr.  Gordon  Duff's  '  Early  Printed 
Books,'*  '  English  Provincial  Printers,'  and  '  The  Printers  of 
Westminster  and  London  to  1535,'  Bradshaw's  '  Collected 
Papers,'  Mr.  A.  W.  Pollard's  'Early  Illustrated  Books,' 
Wheatley's  '  Prices  of  Books,'  Professor  Ferguson's  '  Aspects 
of  Bibliography,'  and  the  publications  of  the  Bibliographical 
Society.  All  these  and  many  others  are  necessary  if  we  are 
to  acquire  a  thorough  knowledge  of  old  books.  They  are,  or 
should  be,  in  every  large  public  library ;  and  we  may  read 
them  through  and  through  at  our  leisure,  learning  more  from 
each  perusal 

There  are  certain  works,  however,  which  the  book-collector 
should  himself  possess,  for  he  will  have  continual  recourse  to 
them  throughout  his  book-collecting  career.  Doubtless  some 
of  them  will  make  an  inroad  upon  his  purse,  but  it  will  be 
money  well  spent,  and  the  knowledge  which  he  will  gain  from 
them  will  save  him  many  a  shilling.  Their  acquisition  must 
be  looked  upon  in  the  same  light  as  the  shelves  and  fittings  of 
the  library. 

First  of  all  we  will  take  those  bibliographies  which  deal 
with  books  published  in  the  English  language,  and  there  are 
certain  of  these  volumes  that  are  indispensable  ©cncrai 
to  the  book-collector  Among  them  are  ««bi»ograpbice. 
Lowndes'  '  Bibliographer's  Manual,*  in  six  octavo  volumes, 
last  published  in  1869t  (alas!  sadly  deficient,  but  still  of 
considerable  use),  which  one  can  have  for  about  a  pound, 
and  Hazlitt's  valuable  '  Bibliographical  Collections  and  Notes 


•  Of  this  book,  published  in  octavo  in  1893,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  too 
highly.  Both  as  a  text-book  for  the  student  and  a  reference  book  for  the 
collector  it  is  invaluable.  The  other  two  volumes  by  Mr.  Duff  are  also  of  the 
greatest  assistance.  '  The  Printers,  Stationers,  and  Bookbinders  of  West- 
minster and  London  from  1476  to  1535'  was  published  in  1906,  and  'The 
English  Provincial  Printers,  Stationers,  and  Bookbinders  to  1557'  in  1912 — 
both  by  the  Cambridge  University  Press.  They  are  still  (1921)  in  print,  and 
cost  six  and  five  shillings  respectively. 

tA  stereotyped  reprint  of  the  revised  edition  published  between  1857  and 
1864.  Each  of  the  first  five  volumes  is  in  two  parts,  often  bound  separately. 
Vol.  6  is  an  appendix. 


162  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

on  Early  English  Literature,'  complete  in  eight  octavo 
volumes,  published  between  1867  and  1903.  The  Biblio- 
graphical Society's  publications,  from  1893  onwards,  are  of 
the  greatest  value,  comprising  lists  of  English  printers,  early 
editions  of  rare  books,  lists  of  early  English  plays,  tales,  and 
prose  romances,  with  numerous  bibliographies.  For  recourse 
to  these,  probably  it  will  be  necessary  to  visit  the  nearest 
important  public  library,  though  one  may  purchase  individual 
numbers  from  time  to  time  at  the  second-hand  booksellers', 

Arber's  '  Term  Catalogues,'  published  in  three  quarto 
volumes  between  1903  and  1906,  gives  a  complete  list  of 
works  entered  at  Stationers'  Hall  from  1668  to  1709.  It 
followed  the  same  author's  '  Transcripts  of  the  Registers  of 
the  Worshipful  Company  of  Stationers  of  London,  1554-1640,* 
which  was  privately  printed  in  five  volumes  between  1875  and 
1894,  A  second  *  Transcript '  of  these  registers,  from  1640 
to  1708,  was  issued  similarly  in  1913-14,  in  three  more  volumes. 

Sir  Egerton  Brydges'  '  British  Bibliographer '  (in  which  he 
was  assisted  by  Joseph  Haslewood)  was  published  in  four 
octavo  volumes,  1810-14,  and  is  an  entertaining  work,  though 
not  one  which  it  is  necessary  that  the  collector  should  acquire. 
The  second  edition  of  his  '  Censura  Literaria '  appeared  in 
ten  volumes  in  1815,  and  the  '  Restituta ;  or  Titles,  Extracts, 
and  Characters  of  Old  Books  in  English  Literature  revived,* 
was  published  in  four  volumes,  1814-16.  All  these  afford 
interesting  reading ;  but  they  are  for  the  armchair  and  fireside 
rather  than  the  desk :  and  the  information  that  they  contain 
must  not  always  be  regarded  as  infallible.  Payne  Collier's 
■*  Account  of  the  Rarest  Books  in  the  English  Language,* 
which  appeared  in  two  volumes  in  1865,  is  rather  more  dull 
than  its  title  suggests.  Karslake's  '  Notes  from  Sotheby's ' 
is  useful,  being  a  compilation  of  2032  notes  from  catalogues 
of  book-sales  between  1885  and  1909. 

Quaritch's  *  General  Catalogue  of  Books '  is  useful  for 
reference.  It  comprises  short  descriptions  of  more  than 
-38,000  works,  and  was  published  in  1887  in  six  volumes.     An 


Books  of  the  Collector  163 

additional  volume  containing  an  index  to  the  whole  was  issued 
in  1892.  The  catalogue  of  the  Huth  Library,  five  large 
octavo  volumes  published  in  1880,  is  also  valuable.  Then 
there  is,  of  course,  the  British  Museum  catalogue,  which  was 
printed  in  1884  under  the  title  '  A  Catalogue  of  Books  in  the 
Library  of  the  British  Museum,  printed  in  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland,  and  of  Books  in  English  printed  abroad,  to  the 
year  1640  * :  three  octavo  volumes. 

For  an  actual  list  of  the  published  works  of  all  British 
authors  of  note,  one  must  consult  the  *  Dictionary  of  National 
Biography  ' :  while  the  more  detailed  bibliographies  to  each 
volume  of  the  *  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature  ' 
are  of  great  assistance,  though  they  vary  considerably,  and 
do  not  pretend  to  be  complete.  Allibone's  *  Critical 
Dictionary  of  English  Literature  and  British  and  American 
Authors,'  in  three  volumes,  was  published  by  Lippincott 
(Philadelphia)  between  1859  and  1871.  There  is  a  supple- 
ment to  it  by  J.  F.  Kirk,  which  appeared  in  two  volumes  in 
1891.     It  is  a  work  of  considerable  value  to  the  bibliographer. 

With  regard  to  the  books  printed  abroad  (as  well  as  in 
England),  it  is  essential  that  the  collector  procure  a  copy 
of  Brunet's  '  Manuel  de  Libraire  et  de  I'Amateur  de  Livres,' 
a  most  valuable  work  dealing  with  the  literature  of  all 
countries.  The  last  (fifth)  edition  of  this  great  work  was 
published  in  six  octavo  volumes  at  Pciris,  1860-65.  In  1870 
a  companion  volume  by  Pierre  Deschamps  was  issued,  entitled 
*  Dictionnaire  de  Geographie  Ancienne  et  Moderne  a  1' Usage 
du  Libraire,'  a  dictionary  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  names  of 
places  with  their  modern  equivalents  and  some  account  of  the 
first  presses  at  those  places.  There  is  a  modern-ancient  index 
A  supplement  to  the  '  Manuel '  was  published  by  MM. 
P.  Deschamps  and  Gustave  Brunet  in  two  volumes,  1878  and 
1880.  The  complete  work,  in  all  nine  large  octavo  volumes, 
1860-1880,  cost  formerly  about  £18  ;  however,  a  reprint  of  the 
fifth  edition — an  exact  facsimile  in  type  and  size — was  issued 
by  Brockhaus  of  Leipzig  (at  ten  pounds  the  set)  in  1920. 


164  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Graesse's  '  Tresor  de  Livres  Rares  et  Precieux '  is  also 
valuable.  It  comprises  books  in  all  tongues  and  contains  a 
mass  of  bibliographical  information.  Published  in  six  quarto 
volumes  (vol.  6  is  in  two  parts)  between  1859  and  1867,  a 
supplement  was  issued  in  1869  :   in  all  seven  volumes.* 

Of  all  the  older  general  bibliographies,  however,  there  are 
few  that  can  compare  with  old  David  Clement's  '  Bibliotheque 
Curieuse  Historique  et  Critique,  ou  Catalogue  Raisonne  de 
Livres  Dificiles  a  Trouver.'  Not,  I  hasten  to  add,  for  its 
accuracy  or  even  the  amount  of  information  it  contains.  But 
there  is  a  charm  about  these  nine  old  quarto  volumes  with 
their  handsome  type  and  title-pages  in  red  and  black  that 
appeals  irresistibly  to  the  collector.  He  was  a  true  biblio- 
phile, this  worthy  Lutheran  pastor,  and  his  gradations  of 
rarity  are  delightfully  expressive  and  concise.  *  Rare,' 
'  tres-rare,'  *  fort-rare,'  he  describes  his  treasures,  and 
occasionally  '  peu-commun  '  ;  but  he  does  not  hesitate  to 
condemn  as  '  rare  et  mauvaise  '  an  edition  that  disturbs  his 
bibliographical  soul.  Alas !  his  work  was  only  carried  as  far 
as  the  letter  H  (Hesiod). 

For  early-printed  books  the  collector  will  require  Ludwig 
Hain's  '  Repertorium  Bibliographicum  .  .  .  usque  ad  annum 
BarivsCrinttb     ^^00,'  which  was  pubhshed  at  Stuttgart  in  four 

ffiooha.  octavo  volumes,  1826-38,  and  is  still  the  standard 
work  upon  this  subject.  For  those  who  collect  fifteenth- 
century  books  this  work  is  essential,  for  all  catalogues  and 
descriptions  of  books  of  that  period  refer  to  it.  Generally 
the  mere  number  of  the  work  in  Hain's  monumental  list  is 
referred  to,  such  as  '  H  3234,'  which  means  that  the  volume 
offered  for  sale  is  as  described  by  Hain,  number  3234  in  the 
'  Repertorium.'  In  1891  Dr.  Konrad  Burger  added  an  Index 
of  Printers  to  this  great  work,  while  between  1898  and  1902 
Dr.  W.  Copinger  published  a  supplement,  adding  some  7,000 
new  entries  to  Hain's  16,299.     Dr.  Burger  added  a  further 

*  Brockhaus  of  Leipzig  has  also  (1921)  published  a  facsimile  reprint  of  this 
work — price  ;^i2. 


Books  of  the  Collector  165 

supplement  in  1908,  and  between  1905  and  1910  Dr.  Dietrich 
Reichling  published  appendices,  additions  and  emendations 
to  all  of  these,  adding  an  index  thereto  in  1911.  For  early 
German  books,  Panzer's  '  Annalen  der  altern  Deutschen 
Litteratur '  to  1526,  which  appeared  at  Niirnberg  in  two 
volumes  between  1788  and  1805,  has  not  yet  been  entirely 
superseded ;  though  considerable  additions  have  been  made 
by  Mozler,  Weller,  and  Petzholdt 

Mr.  C.  E.  Sayle's  '  List  of  Early  English  Printed  Books 
in  the  University  Library  at  Cambridge,  1475  to  1640,'  in 
four  octavo  volumes,  was  published  by  that  university  between 
1900  and  1907  ;  while  for  books  printed  at  Oxford  from  the 
establishment  of  the  first  press  there  in  1478  to  1640,  you 
must  consult  Mr.  Falconer  Madan's  '  The  Early  Oxford 
Press,'  published  in  1895. 

Blades'  '  Life  and  Typography  of  William  Caxton '  I 
have  already  mentioned  ;  and  although  many  of  us  may  never 
behold  a  Caxton  save  through  a  sheet  of  glass,  yet  every 
book-collector  should  be  acquainted  with  the  work  of  this 
great  father  of  the  English  press.  Blades'  work  first  appeared 
in  two  quarto  volumes,  published  respectively  in  1861  and 
1863,  and  is  much  to  be  preferred  to  *  The  Biography  and 
Typography  of  William  Caxton  '  which  is  practically  a  reprint 
in  a  cheaper  form  issued  in  one  octavo  volume  in  1877.  A 
second  edition  of  this  last  appeared  in  1882.  In  the  Preface 
to  the  1877  reprint.  Blades  states  that  '  only  one  additional 
fact  of  any  importance  has  been  added,  viz.  that  Caxton  was 
married  .  .  .  '  and  that  '  the  bibliography  has  been  curtailed' 

Proctor's  '  Index  to  the  Early  Printed  Books  in  the  British 
Museum  from  the  Invention  of  Printing  to  the  Year  MD.,' 
begun  in  1898,  was  cut  short  by  his  untimely  death.  The 
Museum  authorities  have  now  in  course  of  publication  an 
important  work  entitled  '  A  Catalogue  of  Books  printed  in 
the  Fifteenth  Century  now  in  the  British  Museum,'  which  is 
being  compiled  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Pollard  and  his  assistants ;  it 
will  be  completed  in  six  folio  (really  atlas  quarto)  volumes. 


166  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Of  these  the  first  part,  dealing  with  block-books  and  the 
productions  of  German  presses,  appeared  in  1908 ;  Part  II., 
also  German-printed  books,  in  1912 ;  Part  III.,  Germany, 
Switzerland,  Austria  and  Hungary,  in  1913 :  while  Part  IV., 
the  productions  of  Italy,  appeared  in  1916.  Parts  V.  and  VI. 
will  contain  the  works  of  England,  France,  and  other  countries, 
Part  VI.  also  containing  a  general  index  to  the  entire  work. 
The  Introduction  to  Part  I.  gives  a  valuable  resume  of  the 
study  of  scientific  bibliography  from  Panzer  in  1793.  Mr. 
Gordon  Duff's  great  work  on  the  English  incunabula, 
'  Fifteenth  Century  Books,'  was  issued  by  the  Bibliographical 
Society  in  1917.  It  contains  fifty-three  facsimiles,  and  records 
the  existence  of  439  books  or  fragments  issued  in  English, 
or  by  the  printers  in  this  country,  before  the  end  of  the  year 
1500. 

In  France  much  valuable  work  has  been  done  on  the  early 
presses  of  that  country.  M.  Anatole  Claudin  has  put  forth 
some  extremely  useful  books  on  the  early  printers  of  Poitiers, 
Limoges,  Rheims,  and  of  many  other  towns ;  whilst  for  the 
Exposition  Universelle  of  1900  he  prepared  a  monumental 
work  upon  the  early  printers  of  Paris.  This  sumptuous  book, 
entitled  '  Histoire  de  I'lmprimerie  en  France  au  XV*  et  au 
XVI*  Siecle,'  was  printed  in  two  large  quarto  (atlas  quarto) 
volumes,  copiously  adorned  with  illuminated  and  other  illus- 
trations.    The  chapter  on  Antoine  Verard  is  delightful. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  books,  too,  on  the  incunabula 
of  various  European  towns  and  districts,  such  as  Augsburg, 
Bavaria,  Belgium,  Bohemia,  Ferrara,  Mainz,  Lyons,  Mantua, 
NUmberg,  Rome,  Rouen,  Toulouse,  to  mention  only  a  few. 
For  the  incunabula  printed  with  Greek  characters  Legrand's 
'  Bibliographie  hellenique,'  which  appeared  in  two  octavo 
volumes  in  1885,  is  useful. 

For  a  description  of  the  early  *  block-books,*  the  prototype 
of  printing,  the  collector  must  have  recourse  to  Sotheby's 
beautiful  work  entitled  '  Principia  Typographica,'  published 
in  three  large  quarto  volumes  in  1858.     It  contains  no  less 


Books  of  the  Collector  167 

than  a  hundred  and  twenty  full-page  facsimiles,  some  in  colour, 
of  block-books,  early  types,  paper-marks,  etc.,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  important  works  on  the  history  of  printing  that  has 
ever  been  produced.*  He  will  do  well  also  to  acquire  Bigmore 
and  Wyman's  '  Bibliography  of  Printing,'  a  valuable  work 
which  appeared  in  three  quarto  volumes,  1880-86  ;  and  there 
is  an  immense  amount  of  information  concerning  individual 
printers  and  stationers  with  their  productions  in  *  The 
Library  '  (in  progress),  the  three  large  volumes  of  '  Biblio- 
graphica  '  published  in  twelve  parts  between  1895  and  1897, 
and  the  transactions  of  the  Bibliographical  Society. 

If  early  wood-engravings  interest  you,  there  are  several 
works  to  which  you  may  turn  for  guidance.  Lippman's 
'  Wood    Engraving    in    Italy   in    the    Fifteenth 

1-1  1-       1-  1  I-  Engravtnfli. 

Century,  of  which  an  Lnghsh  edition  was 
pubhshed  in  1888,  and  Kristeller's  '  Early  Florentine 
Woodcuts  *  which  appeared  in  1897,  treat  of  illustrated 
Italian  books.  Venetian  books  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth 
centuries  are  dealt  with  by  Prince  d'Essling  in  his  '  BibUo- 
graphie  des  Livres  a  Figures  Venitiens  1469-1525,'  of  which 
a  new  edition  appeared  in  1906.  The  works  of  Dutch  and 
Belgian  artists  are  dealt  with  by  Sir  W.  M.  Conway  in  *  The 
Woodcutters  of  the  Netherlands  in  the  Fifteenth  Century.' 
This  was  published  in  1884.  M.  Claudin's  '  Histoire  de 
rimprimerie  en  France  '  contains  many  illustrations  of  early 
Parisian  woodcuts  and  illuminations,  while  Muther's  *  Die 
Deutsche  Biicherillustration  der  Gothik  und  Friihrenaissance,' 
published  in  1884,  is  also  useful.  For  English  engravers  you 
will  find  Sir  Sidney  Colvin's  '  Early  Engraving  and  Engravers 
in  England  '  (1905)  useful,  as  well  as  Lewine's  '  Bibliography 


•  The  term  Incunabula  is  now  applied  to  all  books  printed  before  the 
year  1500.  It  is  a  vast  study  in  itself,  this  bibliography  of  fifteenth-century 
books  ;  and  thanks  to  the  labours  of  a  small  group  of  men  who  have  devoted 
their  lives  to  the  subject,  it  is  now  upon  a  definite  scientific  basis.  Carefully 
prepared  monographs  are  issued  from  time  to  time,  dealing  with  the  different 
founts  used  by  the  early  printers ;  but  as  this  subject  is  unlikely  to  engage 
the  attentions  of  those  for  whom  this  work  is  written  (who,  like  the  writer, 
are  of  modest  means),  I  forbear  to  enter  upon  it  in  detail. 


168  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

of  Eighteenth  Century  Art  and  Illustrated  Books,'  which 
appeared  in  1898.  A  very  delightful  work  on  the  eighteenth- 
century  French  engravers  is  M.  H.  Cohen's  '  Guide  de 
I'Amateur  de  Livres  a  Gravures  du  XVIIP  Siecle,'  of  which 
the  fifth  edition  was  published  in  1886.  Bewick's  work  has 
been  dealt  with  by  Mr.  Austin  Dobson  in  his  '  Thomas  Bewick 
and  his  Pupils/  octavo,  1884  ;  and  *  A  Descriptive  and  Critical 
Catalogue  of  Works  Illustrated  by  Thomas  and  John  Bewick  ' 
was  published  by  E.  J.  Selwyn  in  1851.  Mr.  A.  W.  Pollard's 
'  Early  Illustrated  Books,'  of  which  a  new  edition  appeared 
in  1917,  is  of  value  from  the  historical  point  of  view. 

Cotton's  '  Typographical  Gazetteer,'  of  which  the  second 
(and  better)  edition  was  printed  at  Oxford  in  1831,  is  valuable 
piact.-Kamee  ^^^  ^^^  identification  of  ancient  Latin  place- 
an^  Datee.  names.  A  second  series  was  published  in  1866. 
J.  Hilton's  *  Chronograms '  (1882)  and  *  Chronograms 
Continued  *  (1885)  are  often  of  great  assistance  with  regard 
to  dates.  In  1895  this  indefatigable  collector  published  a 
third  volume,  quarto,  containing  more  than  four  thousand 
additional  examples.  For  mere  lists  of  works  upon  definite 
subjects  one  may  consult  Sargant  and  Whishaw's  *  Guide- 
Book  to  Books  '  (1891)  and  '  The  Best  Books,'  by  W.  S. 
Sonnenschein. 

For  the  identification  of  authors  who  wrote  under  a 
pseudonym  you  will  find  '  A  Handbook  of  Fictitious  Names,* 
by  '  Olphar  Hamst '  (which  was  the  pseudonym 
of  Ralph  Thomas)  useful.  It  was  published  in 
1868.  But  this  has  been  partly  superseded  by  Gushing' s 
'  Initials  and  Pseudonyms,'  large  octavo,  London,  1886  ;  and 
the  valuable  work  of  Emil  Weller,  entitled  '  Lexicon 
Pseudonymonun,*  of  which  the  second  edition  was  published 
at  Regensburg  the  same  year,  in  octavo.  This  contains 
thousands  of  pseudonyms  of  all  nations  and  all  ages.  Gushing 
also  pubHshed  '  A  Dictionary  of  Revealed  Authorship,'  in  two 
volumes,  1890.  Then  there  is  the  valuable  '  Dictionary  of  the 
Anonymous  and  Pseudonymous  Literature  of  Great  Britain,' 


Books  of  the  Collector  169 

by  Halkett  and  Laing,  which  appeared  in  four  octavo  volumes 
between  1882  and  1888.  Mr.  F.  Marchmont's  '  Concise 
Handbook  of  Literature  issued  Anonymously  under 
Pseudonyms  or  Initials,'  appeared  in  1896. 

Antoine  Barbier's  '  Dictionnaire  des  Ouvrages  Anonymes 
et  Pseudonymes  '  was  published  first  in  four  octavo  volumes 
at  Paris  so  long  ago  as  1806-8.  A  second  edition  was  put 
forth  in  1822-27.  But  between  1869  and  1879  a  third  edition, 
revised  and  enlarged,  was  incorporated  with  '  Les  Super- 
cheries  Litteraires  Devoilees  '  of  Joseph  Marie  Querard  (the 
second  edition),  the  whole  being  edited  by  MM.  Gustave 
Brunet  and  Olivier  Barbier,  and  issued  in  seven  large  octavo 
volumes.  The  first  three  volumes  (1869-70)  appeared  under 
the  title  of  Querard' s  work,  the  last  four  (1872-9)  under  that 
of  Barbier.  Querard's  work,  which  first  appeared  in  four 
octavo  volumes,  1847-52,  is,  as  its  title  indicates,  a  dictionary 
of  those  books  in  French  which  have  been  published  under 
fictitious  names,  are  spurious,  or  have  been  wrongly  ascribed. 
It  is  valuable  for  the  identification  of  many  fictitious  memoirs 
and  like  books.  Barbier's  work  deals  with  French  anonymous 
and  pseudonymous  books.  De  Manne's  *  Nouveau  Diction- 
naire des  Ouvrages  Anonymes  et  Pseudonymes,*  octavo,  Lyon, 
1862,  deals  chiefly  with  contemporary  French  works.  For 
pseudonymous  books  in  Italian  one  must  consult  the  work  of 
Vincenzo  Lcincetti,  which  appeared  at  Milan,  in  octavo,  1836, 
as  well  as  the  '  Dizionario  di  Opere  Anonime  e  Pseudonime 
di  Scrittori  Italiani,'  by  G.  M.  (Gaetano  de'  Conti  Melzi), 
also  published  at  Milcin  in  three  octavo  volumes,  1848-59. 
A  supplement,  by  G.  Passano,  was  issued  at  Ancona  in  1887. 

Dibdin's  rather  sumptuously  produced  works  are  perhaps 
of  more  interest  than  bibhographical  value,  though  his  edition 
(vols.  1-4,  1810-19)  of  the  '  Typographical  Antiquities,'  begun 
by  Ames  (1749),  and  augmented  by  Herbert  (3  vols.,  1785-90), 
is  useful,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  never  completed.  For 
illustrations  of  the  early  printers'  devices  you  must  still  have 
recourse   to    the    '  Bibhographical    Decameron,'    three    large 


170  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

octavo  volumes,  published  in  1817.  For  the  devices  of  French 
printers  there  is  a  more  recent  work  entitled  '  Marques 
Typographiques  des  Libraires  et  Imprimeurs  de  France, 
1470-1600,'  by  M.  Silvestre,  which  was  printed  in  two  octavo 
volumes  at  Paris,  1853-1867.  It  contains  illustrations  of  more 
than  1300  devices.  Every  year  witnesses  the  production  of 
these  indispensable  aids  to  book-collecting,  and  the  modern 
trend  of  such  works  is  towards  a  constricted  specialism.  By 
this  means  it  is  possible  to  realise  a  minuteness  and  accuracy 
unobtainable  in  wider  fields.  The  '  Bibliografia  Aragonesa 
del  Siglo  XVI  *  of  Senor  Sanchez,  a  sumptuous  work  with 
illustrations  of  title-pages,  colophons,  etc.,  which  was 
published  in  two  folio  volumes  in  1913-14,  is  a  striking 
example  of  this. 

There  are  bibliographies  of  almost  every  class  of  books, 
and  a  great  number  dealing  with  the  works  of  individual 
authors  and  printers  of  renown ;  but  these  are  in  the  domain 
of  the  specialist.  There  are  certain  works,  however,  which 
will  be  of  assistance  to  the  collector  in  compiling  a  list  of 
authorities  upon  his  special  subject.  Dr.  Julius  Petzholdt's 
*  Bibliotheca  Bibliographica '  was  published  at  Leipzig  so 
long  ago  as  1866  ;  Sabin's  '  Bibliography  of  Bibliographies  ' 
appeared  at  New  York  in  1877  ;  while  Vallee's  '  Bibliographic 
des  Bibliographies '  (though  neither  very  accurate  nor 
complete)  was  published  at  Paris,  in  large  octavo,  in  1883. 
A  supplement  to  this  last  was  issued  in  1887.  For  the  large 
number  of  bibliographical  works  which  have  issued  from  the 
press  since  that  date  you  must  consult  Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney's 
invaluable  '  Register  of  National  Bibliography,'  in  three 
volumes,  1905  to  1912  ;  which,  indeed,  for  modern  purposes 
has  superseded  the  above-mentioned  works.  In  passing  we 
would  remark  that  the  *  national '  of  its  title-page  is  in  the 
wider  sense  of  the  term. 

And  here  a  word  of  warning.  Always  make  a  point  of 
entering  the  errata  with  a  pencil  in  the  margins  of  every 
reference-book  that  you  acquire.     Do  this  before  you  assign 


Books  of  the  Collector  171 

a  place  to  the  volume  on  the  shelf ;  otherwise  you  may  quote 
or  condemn  a  passage  or  date  which  has  been  rendered 
wrongly  owing  to  a  clerical  or  printer's  error,  and  has  been 
put  right  in  the  errata*  Need  we  say  that  this  practice 
should  not  necessarily  be  confined  to  works  of  reference? 
One  may  even  find  some  amusement  here.  Was  it  not  Scarron 
who  wrote  a  poem,  *  A  Guillemette,  chienne  de  ma  soeur,' 
but  quarrelling  with  his  sister  just  as  the  volume  was  about 
to  appear,  put  in  the  errata,  '  For  chienne  de  ma  soeur  read 
ma  chienne  de  soeur  * ! 

All  these  works  will  assuredly  impart  to  the  book-collector 
much  knowledge  of  ancient  books  and  their  attributes,  but  he 
will  still  be  at  sea  with  regard  to  that  most  necessary  part  of 
their  collection,  namely,  their  commercial  value.  There  is 
only  one  way  in  which  this  knowledge  may  be  obtained,  and 
that  is  by  the  study  of  catalogues.  To  arrive  at  a  proper 
estimate  of  a  book's  value  from  the  purely  financial  point  of 
view,  a  close  study  of  booksellers*  catalogues  and  auction-sale 
prices  through  many  years  is  necessary.  The  divergence  in 
price  of  identical  works  is  somewhat  disturbing  at  first  to  the 
novice,  and  it  is  only  after  some  considerable  experience  and 
the  actual  handling  of  books  that  one  is  enabled  to  arrive  at 
a  proper  estimate  of  their  worth.  '  Continual  use  gives  men 
a  judgment  of  things  comparatively,  and  they  come  to  fix  on 
what  is  most  proper  and  easy,  which  no  man,  upon  cursory 
view,  would  determine.'! 

Before  the  writer  are  two  catalogues,  one  from  a  country 
bookseller,  the  other  from  a  well-known  London  house.  Each 
contains  a   copy   of  the   *  Thesaurus  Cornucopias   et   Horti 


•  It  is  a  tedious  game,  but  a  very  necessary  one,  and  is  a  service  due  to  an 
author.  In  entering  a  long  list  of  errata  in  a  folio  book  which  has  many 
lines  to  the  page  {Cotton's  '  Monluc '  has  62  lines,  and  the  1707  edition  of 
Sandford's  '  Genealogical  History  of  the  Kings  and  Queens  of  England  '  has 
nearly  150  errata!)  the  following  method  saves  a  lot  of  time.  Take  a  strip  of 
paper  about  an  inch  wide,  place  it  on  a  page,  and  make  a  dash  on  the  strip 
at  every  fifth  line  of  text,  numbering  the  dashes  5,  10,  15,  20,  etc.  This 
measurer  saves  one  counting  the  lines  every  time. 

t  Dr.  John  North. 


172  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Adonidis,'  printed  by  Aldus  Manutius  in  1496.  The  former 
offers  it  for  25s.,  the  latter  for  £25.  Why  this  extraordinary 
difference  in  price? 

The  reasons  are  ample.  The  London  copy  has  this 
description  .- 

'Fol. ;  i6th  cent.  English  binding  of  brown  calf, 
gilt  borders  and  centre-pieces,  g.e.  (by  Thomas 
Berthelet,  the  Royal  binder),  in  fine  condition: 
beautiful  copy,  perfectly  clean  and  large,  320  x 
215  m.m.,  enclosed  in  case.' 

The  country  bookseller's  copy,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
described  as  follows : 

'Folio,  russia  (joints  broken),  has  the  270  11.  of 
text  complete,  but  wants  the  10  11.  unnumbered,  of 
preliminary  matter.' 

In  other  words,  one  copy  is  a  very  choice  specimen  of  the 
book,  tall,  clean,  and  perfect ;  while  the  other  is  an  undesirable 
copy  of  ordinary  size,  imperfect,  and  in  poor  condition. 

There  is  another  point  also.  The  London  dealer  specialises 
in  such  books,  in  fact  deals  only  in  ancient  and  scarce  works, 
and  has  a  definite  clientUe  of  rich  and  well-known  collectors. 
He  can  '  place  '  certain  rare  books  at  once,  for  he  knows  the 
desiderata  of  each  of  his  customers  and  the  deficiencies  of 
their  collections.  The  countryman,  on  the  other  hand,  deals 
in  all  manner  of  books,  ancient  and  modern,  has  few  rich 
purchasers  among  his  customers,  and  knows  nothing  whatever 
of  their  book-buying  propensities.  Any  volume  that  he  offers 
for  sale  may  remain  on  his  hands  for  an  indefinite  time. 

Then  there  are  such  volumes  as  '  association  books,'  by 
which  is  meant  books  possessing  an  additional  interest  by 
reason  of  their  former  association  with  some  notability,  such 
association  being  evident  by  autographs,  corrections,  annota- 
tions, additions,  or  binding.  Such  volumes  often  exceed 
enormously  the  price  of  ordinary  copies.     The  first  Edinburgh 


Books  of  the  Collector  173 

edition  (1787)  of  Burns'  Poems  is  worth  usually  about  £5 ; 
but  a  copy  realised  £75  at  auction  a  few  years  ago.  The 
reason  for  this  extraordinary  price  was  that  in  this  volume 
all  those  lines  in  which  asterisks  occur  were  filled  in  with 
the  full  names  in  the  handwriting  of  the  poet.  Moreover  it 
contained  an  additional  stanza  on  '  Tam  Samson  '  in  Burns' 
autograph.  For  such  a  jewel  one  cannot  consider  the  figure 
excessive,  and  it  will  doubtless  run  well  into  three  figures  if 
it  ever  appear  in  the  sale-room  again.  Similarly,  each  year 
witnesses  the  sale  of  certain  of  these  '  association  '  volumes ; 
and  unless  you  are  aware  of  the  reasons  causing  these  high 
prices  to  rule,  such  records  will  be  worse  than  useless  to  you. 
A  superficial  study  of  all  auction-sale  prices  is  apt  to  be 
intensely  misleading.  Unless  you  are  actually  on  the  spot 
or  have  handled  the  volume  in  question,  the  price  that  it 
realises  will  tell  you  little  as  to  the  stable  value  of  the  work. 
A  torn  page,  a  shaved  headline,  the  underlining  of  a  line  or 
two  with  ink,  a  '  mounted  '  frontispiece,  a  missing  plate,  or 
even  a  worn  impression  of  it,  all  these  things  affect  the  price 
of  a  volume. 

Then  there  are  considerations  outside  the  book  itself. 
A  scarce  volume  included  in  a  sale  of  unimportant  books  is 
unlikely  to  realise  so  high  a  price  as  it  might  have  done  had 
it  appeared  in  a  Huth  or  Ashburnham  sale ;  for  important 
books  attract  important  bidders.  The  prices  paid  for  poor 
copies  at  the  Frere  sale  in  1896  were  enormous ;  the  reason 
being,  probably,  that  this  library  had  long  been  known  to 
contain  desiderata  for  which  public  and  private  collections 
alike  had  hitherto  thirsted  in  vain  ;  the  sale  was  something 
of  a  battue,  and  the  room  was  thronged  with  buyers  from  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom. 

It  is  a  ticklish  question,  this  matter  of  the  price  which  the 
collector  pays,  and  should  pay,  for  his  books,  and  one  that 
may  not  be  resolved  early  in  his  career.  In  addition  to 
exercising  your  memory  when  perusing  the  catalogues  which 
reach  you,  you  will  do  well  to  obtain  and  study  '  Prices  of 


174  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Books :  an  Enquiry  into  the  Changes  in  the  Price  of  Books 
which  have  occurred  in  England  at  Different  Periods,'  an 
interesting  volume  by  that  great  connoisseur,  Henry  B. 
Wheatley.     It  was  published  in  octavo  in  1898. 

Most  of  the  catalogues  that  one  receives  from  the  book- 
sellers are  of  little  use  when  read,  and  no  useful  purpose  is 
served  by  preserving  them.  But  there  are  certain  dealers 
who  specialise  in  a  definite  class  of  books,  and  their  catalogues 
are  always  of  value,  for  they  contain  only  works  upon  a 
definite  subject  or  of  a  definite  class.  Such  catalogues  form 
most  useful  reference  works,  and  even  bibliographies  of  that 
particular  subject.  By  all  means  preserve  them  ;  you  may 
have  them  plainly  bound  in  buckram  (when  you  have  collected 
a  sufficient  number  of  them)  at  the  cost  of  a  shilling  or  two, 
or  you  may  keep  them  in  a  small  portfolio  on  your  shelf. 

Sotheby's  auction-sale  catalogues  are  also  valuable.  They 
are  nicely  produced,  and  have  fine  margins  for  making  notes. 
It  is  well  worth  obtaining  these  regularly,  which  one  may 
do  by  paying  a  small  subscription.  Most  of  them  contain  a 
miscellaneous  assortment  of  books,  and  are  not  worth  keeping, 
but  on  the  other  hand  most  of  the  famous  libraries  that  are 
dispersed  in  this  country  pass  through  the  Bond  Street  house, 
and  the  catalogues  of  these  are  of  the  greatest  value. 

The  history  of  booksellers'  catalogues  is  an  interesting  one, 
and  as  yet  we  have  no  authoritative  work  upon  this  inter- 
mediary between  publisher  and  reader.  The  earliest  catalogue 
so  far  known  was  printed  at  Mainz  by  Peter  Schoeffer  in  1469. 
It  was  a  catalogue  of  books  for  sale  by  himself  or  his  agent, 
and  consisted  of  a  single  sheet,  probably  intended  to  be  used 
as  a  poster.  It  is  in  abbreviated  Latin,  and  comprises  the 
titles  of  twenty-one  books,  being  headed — 

'  Volentes  sibi  comparare  infrascriptos  libros 
magna  cum  diligentia  correctos,  ac  in  huiusmodi 
littera  moguntie  impresses,  bene  continuatos,  veniant 
ad  locum  habitationis  infrascriptum.' 


Books  of  the  Collector  175 

and  at   the  foot   is   printed  in   large  type — 

'  HEC  EST  LITTERA  PSALTERII ' 

— a  specimen  of  the  type  with  which  the  Psalter  mentioned  in 
the  list  was  printed.  Beneath  this  would  be  written  the  name 
of  the  place  where  the  books  could  be  obtained,  this  being 
the  case  with  the  only  copy  of  this  advertisement  that  has 
come  down  to  us,  Schoeffer's  traveller  having  written  at  the 
foot,  *  Venditor  librorum  repertibilis  est  in  hospicio  dicto  zum 
willden  mann  ' — '  the  bookseller  is  to  be  found  at  the  sig^  of 
the  Wild  Man.' 

Caxton  adopted  the  same  expedient  with  regard  to  his 
Sarum  Ordinale.  This  advertisement,  which  is  in  English, 
is  as  follows : 

'  If  it  plese  ony  man  spirituel  or  temporel  to  bye 
ony  pyes  of  two  and  thre  comemoracions  of  salisburi 
use  enpr\ntid  after  the  forme  of  this  present  lettre 
whiche  ben  wel  and  truly  correct,  late  hym  come  to 
Westmonester  in  to  the  almonesrye  at  the  reed  pale 
and  he  shal  haue  them  good  chepe.' 

At  the  foot  of  this  was  printed  *  Supplico  stet  cedula ' — 
Please  don't  tear  down  the  bill.  The  '  pyes  '  of  this  advertise- 
ment (the  Enghsh  form  of  the  Latin  Pica)  were  the  guides 
by  which  one  might  learn  the  proper  combinations  of  collects 
and  prayers  for  Saints*  days,  at  certain  epochs,  according  to 
the  SaHsbury  Ritual.  The  '  reed  pale,'  or  red  pale,  was  the 
heraldic  sign  which  Caxton  adopted  for  his  printing-house.* 

Other  printers  soon  followed  Schoeffer's  example ;  notably 
Johan  Mentelin  of  Strasbourg.  But  these  were  mere  lists  of 
books,  sometimes  eulogies  of  an  individual  work,  printed  for 
the  most  part  by  one  particular  press  and  issued  by  the  actual 


•  For  Schoeffer's  list,  see  Mr.  E.  G.  Duff's  '  Early  Printed  Books,'  1893, 
p.  31,  where  there  is  also  an  illustration  of  it.  For  Caxton's  advertisement, 
see  an  excellent  article  upon  these  early  catalogues,  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Pollard, 
in  'The  Bibliophile'  for  March  1908  (vol.   i.  No.  i,  p.  22). 


176  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

printer.  In  1480  Anton  Koberger  of  Nurnberg  issued  a 
catalogue  of  the  books  which  he  had  for  sale,  twenty-two  in 
all,  though  not  all  of  them  were  printed  by  himself.  Koberger 
was  perhaps  the  most  important  printer  and  publisher  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  He  is  said  to  have  employed  twenty-four 
presses  at  Niirnberg,  besides  having  books  printed  for  him 
in  other  towns.*  He  it  was  who  introduced  the  printing-press 
into  Nurnberg  in  1470.  His  enterprise,  however,  was  not 
limited  to  the  mere  printing  of  books.  He  is  said  to  have 
had  sixteen  shops  where  his  books  were  sold,  and  agents  in 
every  city  in  Christendom!  Truly  he  was  the  father  of 
booksellers. 

Another  German  printer,  Erhart  Ratdolt,  printed  at  Venice, 
before  1488,  a  handsome  sheet  in  red  and  black  in  which  he 
enumerates  some  forty-six  books  arranged  under  six  headings, 
which  he  had  for  sale.  They  comprised  the  productions  of 
several  presses,  the  list  being  headed  '  Libri  venales  Venetiis 
impressi.*  Some  thirty  or  more  of  these  catalogues  of  German 
printers,!  produced  before  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
are  known. 

In  1485  Antoine  Verard,  one  of  the  most  imf>ortant  figures 
in  the  annals  of  French  printing,  began  business  at  Paris  by 
putting  forth  an  edition  of  the  Decameron.  From  this  date 
he  continued  as  a  publisher,  and  has  been  called  *  the  most 
important  Paris  publisher  of  the  fifteenth  century.'  So  far 
as  I  am  aware  no  catalogue  of  the  books  which  he  had  for 
sale  has  yet  been  discovered ;  though  from  the  fact  that  our 
King  Henry  Vll.  purchased  a  number  of  his  volumes  it  would 
seem  that  his  agents  or  travellers  were  in  possession  of  lists. 

Beckmann,  in  his  *  History  of  Inventions  and  Discoveries,' 
says :  '  It  appears  that  the  printers  themselves  first  gave  up 
the  bookselling  part  of  the  business,  zmd  retained  only  that  of 
printing ;  at  least  this  is  said  to  have  been  the  case  with  that 

♦  Mr.  E.  G.  DuflF,  op.  cit.,  p.  513. 

t  A  collection  of  thirty-two  facsimiles  of  these  fifteenth-century  book  adver- 
tisements was  published  by  Herr  Konrad  Burger  in  1908. 


Books  of  the  Collector  177 

well-known  bookseller  John  Rainman,  who  was  bom  at 
Oehringen  and  resided  at  Augsburg  '  ;  and  goes  on  to  say 
that  he  was  at  first  a  printer  and  letter-founder,  and  supplied 
Aldus  with  his  types.  But  this  offset  of  the  main  business  of 
book-production  began  still  earlier :  witness  the  catalogues  of 
Koberger  and  Ratdolt  already  quoted.  Many  other  printers 
also  there  were,  before  1490,  who  were  acting  as  agents  or 
*  booksellers  '  to  other  firms.  This  was  the  case,  too,  with 
many  of  the  Parisian  houses. 

'  Printing  therefore  gave  rise*  to  a  new  and  important 
branch  of  trade,  that  of  bookselling,  which  was  established  in 
Germany  chiefly  at  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  where,  at  the  time 
of  the  fairs  particularly,  there  were  several  large  booksellers' 
shops  in  that  street  which  still  retains  the  name  of  * '  book 
street"  't  This  ancient  custom  of  having  bookstalls  in  the 
streets  (particularly  about  the  church  or  cathedral)  upon  fair- 
days  still  survives  in  more  than  one  old-world  town  upon  the 
Continent.  Indeed  it  is  this  very  custom  that  gave  rise  to 
the  term  '  stationer.'  The  early  booksellers  were  wont  to 
erect  their  stalls  or  '  stations  '  against  the  very  walls  of  the 
cathedrals,  whence  they  were  known  as  '  stacyoneres.* 

Beckmann  mentions  two  other  of  these  early  booksellers 
at  Augsburg — Joseph  Burglin  and  George  Diemar.  *  Some- 
times,' he  continues,  '  they  were  rich  people  of  all  conditions^ 
particularly  eminent  merchants,  who  caused  books  which  they 
sold  to  be  printed  at  their  own  expense.'  George  Wilier,  a 
bookseller  who  kept  a  large  shop  at  Augsburg,  was  the  first, 
says,  Beckmann,  who  hit  upon  the  plan  of  causing  a  catalogue 
of  all  the  new  books  to  be  printed,  in  which  the  size  and 
printers'  names  were  marked.     His  catalogues  from  1564  to 


•  This  is  not  strictly  accurate,  for  there  were  agents  or  booksellers  (call 
them  what  you  will)  who  bought  and  sold  manuscripts  at  Rome  in  very  early 
times.  A  document  dated  1349  (quoted  by  Laborde,  '  Les  Dues  de  Bour- 
gogne,'  torn,  i,  p.  459)  mentions  one  Thomas  de  Maubeuge,  '  bookseller  at 
Paris,'  who  sold  a  volume  to  the  Duke  of  Normandy  for  fourteen  florins  of 
gold. 

t  Beckmann,  op.  cit. 


178  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

1592  were  printed  by  Nicholas  Basse  at  Frankfort.  Beckmann 
relates  that  a  collection  of  these  sixteenth-century  German 
book-catalogiies  was  in  the  library  of  Professor  Baldinger  of 
Gottingen  ;  possibly  it  still  rejHDses  in  the  fine  library  of  that 
university. 

*  In  all  these  catalogues,  which  zu-e  in  quarto  and  not  paged,' 
continues  Beckmann,  '  the  following  order  is  observed.  The 
Latin  books  occupy  the  first  place  .  .  .  and  after  these,  books 
of  jurisprudence,  medicine,  philosophy,  poetry  and  music.  The 
second  place  is  assigned  to  German  works,  which  are  arranged 
in  the  same  manner.' 

Basse's  collection  is  entitled  *  Collectio  in  unum  corpus 
omnium  librorum  Hebraeorum,  Graecorum,  Latinorum  necnon 
Germanice,  Italice,  Gallice,  et  Hispanice  scriptorum,  qui  in 
nundinis  Francofurtensibus  ab  anno  1564  usque  ad  nundinas 
Autumnales  anni  1592  ....  desumpta  ex  omnibus  Catalogis 
Willerianis  singularum  nundinarum,&  in  tres  Tomos  distincta 
....  Plerique  in  aedibus  Georgij  Willeri  ciuis  &  Bibliopole 
Augustani,  venales  habentur.'  It  was  printed  in  quarto  at 
Frankfort  '  ex  ofiicina  Typographica  Nicolai  Bassaei, 
MDXCII.'  Part  2  (which  has  a  separate  pagination  and 
title)  is  in  German,  and  contains  German  books  only.  Part  3, 
also  a  distinct  work,  has  a  title-page  in  both  Latin  and  French, 
and  contains  books  in  Italian,  Spanish,  and  French.  This 
title  reads :  *  Recueil  en  un  corps  des  livres  Italiens,  Espagnols, 
et  Fran9ois,  qui  ont  este  exposez  en  vente  en  la  boutique 
des  Imprimeurs  frequentans  les  foires  de  Francfort  depuis 
I'an  1568  jusques  a  la  foire  de  Septembre  1592.  Extraict  des 
Catalogues  des  dictes  foires,  et  reduict  en  method  conuenable, 
et  tres  utile.*     An  exceedingly  interesting  work,  this  last  part. 

A  priced  catalogue  of  the  books  printed  by  Christian  Wechel 
is  extant.  It  was  printed  at  Paris  in  1543,  a  duodecimo  of 
twelve  leaves,  containing  about  three  hundred  books.  These 
are  classed  under  the  headings  Grammatica,  Dialectica, 
Rhetorica,  Historica,  Poetica,  Moralia,  Physica,  et  Mathe- 
matica,  Theologia,  Legalis,  and  Medica.       Under  each  of 


Books  of  the  Collector  179 

these  headings  the  books  are  divided  into  '  Graece '  and 
'  Latine,'  but  '  Grammatica  '  and  '  Theologia  '  have  each  the 
additional  subheading  '  Hebraice.'  The  prices  are  interesting. 
They  vary  from  twopence  (the  Ars  versificatoria  of  Ulric  von 
Hutten  and  a  Nicholas  Beroald)  to  80s. — a  Hippiatria  in 
French.  There  are  six  at  3d.,  ten  at  4d.,  forty-five  at  6d., 
none  at  5d.  or  7d.,  twenty-two  at  8d.,  four  at  9d.,  seventeen 
at  lOd.,  and  thirty-seven  at  Is.  There  are  ten  at  Is.  3d., 
twenty-three  at  Is.  6d.,  and  twelve  at  Is.  8d. ;  whilst  from  2s. 
to  6s.  the  prices  rise  by  6d.  But  only  one  volume  is  priced 
at  4s.  6d.,  and  two  each  at  5s.  6d.  and  6s.  There  are  from  two 
to  four  volumes  at  7s.,  8s.,  12s.,  15s.,  16s.,  and  18s. ;  whilst 
six  are  priced  at  10s.,  and  five  at  20s. 

The  more  expensive  works  are  chiefly  illustrated  *  standard  ' 
authors,  such  as  Modestus  ('  De  Vocabulis  Rei  Militaris,' 
18s.),  Vegetius  {gallice,  cunt  picturis,  16s.,  or  in  Latin 
fermultis  picturis,  20s.),  and  several  medical  works  such  as 
Galen  (two  at  20s.)  and  Jo.  Tagaultius  (20s.).  A  Vegetius 
'  in  minore  forma  '  but  also  *  picturis  '  is  priced  at  4s.  At  the 
end  is,  in  Latin  :  *  And  these  are  the  books,  printed  with  our 
types,  which  we  offer  you.  Moreover  there  are  others  of  all 
kinds  for  sale  in  our  shop  (Taberna),  both  in  Italian  and 
German  and  French.'  Then  comes  the  announcement  of  a 
forthcoming  edition  of  Eustathius'  Commentary  on  the  first 
book  of  Homer's  Iliad. 

There  is  extant  a  list,  printed  in  1472,  of  books  published 
at  Subiaco  and  Rome  by  Sweynheim  and  Pannartz,  the 
German  printers  who  first  established  the  printing-press  in 
Italy.  This  list  is  contained  in  a  letter  written  by  the  printers 
to  Pope  Sixtus  IV.,  asking  for  assistance.  It  mentions 
twenty-eight  works,  and  comprises  11,475  volumes,*  which 
looks  as  if  the  book-buyers  of  Rome  had  combined  to  procure 
a  reduction  in  the  price  of  books ;  and  there  were  no  book- 


*  Mr.  E.  G.  Duff,  op.  cit.  Beckmann  has  12,475,  quoting  Fabricius' 
'  Bibliotheca  Latina,'  ed.  1772,  vol.  iii.  p.  898,  where  the  document  is  printed 
in  full. 


180  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

sellers  at  that  time  to  whom  the  publishers  could  dispose  of 
their  volumes  as  '  remainders.'  No  wonder  that  they  described 
themselves  as  struggling  '  sub  tanto  cartharum  fasce  * — 
beneath  so  great  a  load  of  paper.  It  must  have  been  circum- 
stances such  as  these  that  induced  the  early  publishers  to  put 
forth  a  *  bad  seller  '  from  time  to  time  adorned  with  a  fresh 
title-page.  Notices  of  such  cases  abound,  and  they  are  not 
entirely  confined  to  the  -first  publishers.  *  But,*  invariably 
remarks  the  astute  and  relentless  bibliogprapher,  '  it  is  all  the 
same  edition.' 

In  1602  there  appeared  a  compilation  from  all  the  catalogues 
published  at  the  different  fairs  in  Germany  from  1500  to  1602, 
by  Johann  Cless,  and  it  was  published  in  quarto  at  Frankfort. 
Unfortunately  the  original  form  of  the  catalogues  from  which 
this  compilation  was  made  was  neglected,  so  that  the  work 
presents  merely  a  list  of  books  catalogued  under  their 
subjects ;  and  only  occasionally  is  the  name  of  the  printer 
given.  The  first  volume  consists  of  those  published  in  Latin, 
the  second  volume  those  which  appeared  in  the  German 
tongue.  The  books  are  entered  under  the  Christian  name  of 
the  author,  which  does  not  facilitate  reference ;  but  date, 
place,  and  size  are  given.  Another  writer,  George  Draud, 
produced  in  1611  a  '  Bibliotheca  Librorum  Germanicorum 
Classica  '  ;  but  this  also  is  merely  a  catalogue  of  all  kinds  of 
books  printed  in  German  up  to  1610.  This  was  republished 
in  two  quarto  volumes  at  Frankfort  in  1625.  Beckmann 
remarks,  however,  that  many  books  are  mentioned  by  Draud 
which  never  were  printed,  and  many  titles,  names,  and  dates 
are  given  incorrectly.  Grude's  work,  published  in  1584,  has 
already  been  mentioned.* 

In  the  same  way  other  countries  were  putting  forth 
catalogues  throughout  the  sixteenth  century.  Occasionally 
one  comes  across  them  bound  with  various  works,  and  some- 
times, more  commonly,  beneath  the  calf  or  vellum  covers  of 
the  books  of  that  period. 

*  See  p.  155. 


Books  of  the  Collector  181 

In  this  country  for  many  decades  after  the  introduction  of 
printing,  the  output  of  the  EngHsh  presses  was  not  sufficiently 
large  to  keep  pace  with  the  demand  for  books ;  so  that  there 
grew  up  a  considerable  trade  in  the  importation  of  books  from 
abroad.  In  London  Francois  Regnault  received  a  continuous 
supply  of  foreign-printed  works  from  his  Paris  shop,  while 
others  such  as  the  Birckmanns,  who  had  shops  in  Cologne, 
Antwerp,  and  other  large  towns,  kept  up  the  number. 

Doubtless  these,  and  many  others  like  them,  issued 
catalogues  of  the  books  they  had  for  sale.  In  1595  Andrew 
Maunsell  published  his  Catalogue  of  English  Printed  Books 
in  two  parts,  and  in  April  1617  John  Bill,  a  leading  London 
bookseller,  issued  the  first  number  of  his  '  Catalogus 
Universalis,'  a  translation  of  the  half-yearly  Frankfort 
Mess-Katalog,  and  continued  this  enterprise  twice  a  year  for 
eleven  years  at  least.  From  October  1622  he  added  a 
supplement  of  books  printed  in  English.  A  book-catalogue 
of  Wilham  Jaggard  of  1618  is  also  known.  The  title  of  this 
catalogue  states  that — like  Bill's — it  is  '  to  be  continued  for 
every  half-year,'  but  so  far  no  further  issue  has  come  to  light.* 
You  will  find  a  list  of  the  catalogues  published  by  English 
booksellers  since  1595  in  Mr.  A.  Growoll's  '  Three  Centuries 
of  English  Book-Trade  Bibliography,*  which  was  issued  in 
octavo  at  New  York  in  1903. 

In  1628  Henry  Fetherstone,  another  London  stationer, 
published  a  catalogue  of  books  which  he  had  recently 
purchased  in  Italy.  Among  these  was  the  famous  library  of 
Giacomo  Barocci,  a  gentleman  of  Venice,  consisting  of  two 
hundred  and  forty-two  manuscript  volumes,  now  in  the 
Bodleian  Library.  Writing  to  the  Archbishop  of  Armagh 
in  1629,  Sir  Henry  Bourchier  says,  '  I  doubt  not  but  your 
Grace  hath  heard  of  the  Greek  Library  brought  from  Venice 
by  Mr.  Fetherston,  which  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  hath  bought 


•  For  more  upon  this  subject,  with  regard  to  this  country,  see  The  Camb. 
Hist.  Eng.  Lit.  vol.  iv.  chap,  xviii.,  'The  English  Book-trade,'  by  Mr.  H.  C?. 
Aldis. 


182  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

for  the  University  Library  of  Oxford ;  it  cost  him  £700 ; 
there  are  of  them  two  hundred  and  fifty  volumes.  Dr.  Lindsell, 
now  Dean  of  Litchfield,  tells  me  that  it  is  a  great  Treasure, 
far  exceeding  the  catalogue.'  As  this  collection  formed  but 
a  part  of  the  books  which  Fetherstone  brought  from  Venice 
to  this  country,  one  cannot  but  marvel  at  such  an  intrepid 
stroke  of  business.  Presumably  the  volumes  were  transported 
by  ship. 

The  history  of  booksellers  has  been  attempted  more  than 
once,*  so  I  will  content  myself  with  remarking  that  in  addition 
to  being  *  rich  people  of  all  conditions,'  some  at  least  of  these 
early  booksellers  were — like  the  early  printers — men  of  great 
learning.  William  Goeree,  the  bookseller  of  Amsterdam,  was 
a  student  by  nature,  but  it  was  his  fortune  to  be  brought  up 
by  a  step-father  to  whom  letters  were  unknown.  His  great 
desire,  a  university  education,  was  denied  him,  and  he  was 
forced  to  choose  some  business.  So  he  elected  to  embark 
upon  a  career  where  he  would  at  least  enjoy  the  conversation 
of  the  learned,  and  would  be  free  to  pursue  his  studies 
undisturbed  by  the  strictures  of  his  step-sire.  As  a  book- 
seller he  prospered,  and  profiting  by  the  atmosphere  of 
learning  in  which  his  paths  lay,  he  found  time  between  the 
hours  of  business  to  produce  several  valuable  works  upon 
such  diverse  subjects  as  Architecture,  Sculpture,  Painting, 
Engraving,  Botany,  Physic,  and  Antiquities ! 

Fabert,  the  bookseller  of  Metz  and  author  of  *  Notes  sur  la 
Coutume  de  Lorraine,'  which  he  published  in  folio  in  1657, 
was  esteemed  so  highly  both  for  his  learning  and  abihties, 
that  his  son  Abraham  Fabert  was  thought  not  unworthy  of 


*  Curwen's  '  History  of  Booksellers,'  8vo,  1873,  deals  chiefly  with  the  later 
English  houses;  while  Mr.  E.  Marston's  'Sketches  of  Booksellers  of  Other 
Days,'  i2mo,  1901,  is  concerned  only  with  eight  London  booksellers,  from 
Tonson  to  Lackington.  Mr.  F.  A.  Mumby's  '  The  Romance  of  Bookselling,' 
8vo,  1910,  contains  a  bibliography  of  the  subject,  but  says  little  about  the 
early  continental  book-marts.  Mr.  W  Roberts'  '  Earlier  History  of  English 
Bookselling,'  8vo,  1892,  deals  with  London  alone,  and  does  not  help  us. 
There  is  a  short  article  on  the  Frankfort  Fairs,  by  Mr.  G.  Smith,  in  '  The 
Library,'   1900,  pp.    167-179. 


Books  of  the  Collector  183 

being  educated  with  the  Due  d'Epernon.  Abraham  rose  to 
be  Marshal  of  France:  but  in  spite  of  his  great  talents  and 
still  greater  attainments,  the  bookseller's  son  ever  retained 
that  natural  modesty  inherent  only  in  great  minds.  Offered 
the  Order  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Louis  XIV.  he  refused  it  on 
the  ground  that  it  should  be  worn  only  by  the  ancient  nobility. 
Whereupon  the  King  wrote  to  him  *  No  person  to  whom  I 
may  give  this  Order  will  ever  receive  more  honour  from  it 
than  you  have  gained  by  your  noble  refusal,  proceeding  from 
so  generous  a  principle.'  One  can  only  meditate  0  si  sic 
omnes ! 

There  are  two  reference-books  that  will  be  of  use  to  you 
if  you  are  interested  in  this  subject.  Both  were  published 
by  the  Bibliographical  Society.  The  first,  by  Mr.  Gordon 
Duff,  is  entitled  '  A  Century  of  the  English  Book  Trade,'  and 
is  a  list  of  early  English  stationers.  It  appeared  in  1905. 
The  other,  compiled  by  nine  members  of  the  Society  under 
the  editorship  of  Mr.  R.  B.  McKerrow,  was  published  in  1910, 
and  is  called  *  A  Dictionary  of  Printers  and  Booksellers  in 
England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  and  of  Foreign  Printers  of 
English  Books,  1557-1640.' 

To  the  collector  all  catalogues  are  interesting,  and  although 
one  may  not  readily  come  across  publishers'  catalogues  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  yet  seventeenth-century  ones  are  not  so 
rare,  and  those  of  the  eighteenth  century  comparatively 
common.  What  interesting  reading  these  old  catalogues 
provide!  Often  it  is  worth  while  purchasing  the  flotsam  of 
the  seventeenth  and  early  eighteenth  centuries  from  the  penny 
tub  merely  for  the  sake  of  the  catalogues  which  one  frequently 
comes  across  bound  at  the  end  of  such  volumes.  The 
desecration  of  a  book  is  anathema  to  the  bibliophile ;  but 
provided  always  that  when  you  have  paid  your  penny  the 
volume  proves  to  be  but  common  trash  and  of  no  value 
whatever,  you  need  not  hesitate  to  remove  the  desired  leaves 
and  consign  the  wreckage  to  the  waste-paper  basket. 


184  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Perhaps  nothing  shows  so  clearly  the  change  in  manners 
and  sentiments  of  each  age  as  do  these  ancient  catalogues. 
Doubtless  many  of  the  works  therein  described  are  to  be 
found  among  the  pages  of  any  modern  bookseller's  list.  But 
there  they  are  scattered  among  works  of  all  times,  and  strike 
the  imagination  as  being  merely  the  curiosities  of  a  bygone 
age.  Here,  gathered  together  in  one  list,  they  are  exhibited 
in  company  with  their  fellows,  and  there  is  little  diversity  of 
sentiment  to  distract  one's  attention.  Though  they  treat  of 
the  most  diverse  subjects  under  the  sun,  yet  there  is  a  strange 
similitude  about  them  which  is  characteristic  of  their  age. 
And  this  impression  is  not  due  to  the  language  in  which  their 
titles  are  couched  ;  they  are  just  the  sort  of  books  which  we 
should  expect  our  forefathers  of  that  period  to  read.  What- 
ever their  subjects,  whatever  their  titles,  they  are  clearly  all 
birds  of  a  feather. 

Take  the  following,  all  of  which  occur  in  '  A  Catalogue  of 
some  Books  Printed  for  Henry  Brome,  since  the  Dreadful 
Fire  of  London.' 

The  History  of  the  Life  of  the  Duke  Espernon,  the  great 
Favourite  of  France.  .  .  . 

Scarronides  or  Virgil  Travesty  .  .  by  Charles  Cotton,  Esq. 

Elvira,  a  Comedy,  or  The  worst  not  alwaies  true,  by  the 
Earl  of  Bristol. 

Mr.  Simpson's  Division  Viol,  in  folio,  price  8s. 

A  Treatise  wherein  is  demonstrated,  that  the  Church  and 
State  of  England  are  in  equal  danger  with  the  Trade,  in 
quarto,  by  Roger  Cook,  Esq. 

Erasmus  Colloquies,  in  English. 

The  Fair  One  of  Tuis,  a  new  Piece  of  Gallantry. 

Elton's  Art  Military,  in  folio. 

Sir  Kenelm  Digby's  two  excellent  Books  of  Receipts  ;  one 
of  Physick  and  Chirurgery  ;  the  other  of  Cookery  and  Drinks, 
with  other  Curiosities. 

The  Exact  Constable,  price  8d.,  useful  for  all  Gentlemen. 


Books  of  the  Collector  185 

Toleration  Discussed,  by  Mr.  L'Estrange. 
The  Lord  Coke's  Institutes,  in  four  parts. 
Dr.  Heylin  on  the  Creed,  in  folio,  price  15s. 

Who  could  hesitate  to  assign  a  period  to  these  ?  Is  not 
'  The  Civil  War  and  Restoration  '  writ  big  about  them  all  ? 
Plainer,  indeed,  would  it  be  were  we  to  analyse  each  separate 
item ;  for  the  tastes  of  the  age  and  trend  of  men's  thoughts 
as  depicted  in  the  pages  of  Master  Pepys  are  amply  reflected 
here. 

Beware,  however,  lest  you  come  across  a  catalogue  of  some 
such  rogue  as  Edmund  Curll,  that  shameless  rascal  who  gloried 
in  the  obscene  productions  of  his  minions,  hesitating  not  to 
assign  them  to  the  greatest  writers  of  the  day.  Though  fined 
and  pilloried  for  his  scandalous  publications,  he  regarded  such 
'  accidents '  merely  as  a  medium  of  advertisement,  and  had 
no  hesitation  in  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
suffered  corporal  punishment  on  account  of  a  book  that  he 
wished  to  sell. 

In  the  course  of  his  crooked  career  he  fell  foul  of  Pope  by 
publishing  a  book  entitled  '  Court  Poems,'  which  he  ascribed 
to  '  the  laudable  translator  of  Homer.'  Pope  promptly  retorted 
by  putting  forth  an  essay  with  the  delightful  title  '  A  Full  and 
True  Account  of  a  Horrid  and  Barbarous  Revenge  by  Poison 
on  the  Body  of  Mr.  Edmund  Curll,  Bookseller ;  with  a  faithful 
copy  of  his  Last  Will  and  Testament.'  Neither  words  nor 
deeds,  however,  could  repress  a  man  so  destitute  of  moral 
worth  ;  and,  later,  he  came  once  more  under  the  poet's  lash  in 
the  '  Dunciad,'  where  we  read — 

'  Obscene  with  filth  the  miscreant  lies  bewray'd.' 

Yet  even  the  devil  must  have  his  due,  and  Curll  certainly 
was  concerned  in  the  production  of  a  number  of  works  of 
general  and  abiding  interest.  Here  is  a  curious  example  of 
his  wares,  from  one  of  his  catalogues  dated  1726.  It  is  a 
version  of  Sallengre's  '  L'Elogie  de  I'lvresse,'  a  humorous 
(and  scarce)  little  volume  first  published  in  1714. 


186  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Ebrietatis  Encomium — or,  The  Praise  of  Drunken- 
ness. Wherein  is  authentically  and  most  evidently 
proved  the  Necessity  of  frequently  getting  drunk; 
and  that  the  practice  of  getting  drunk  is  most 
Ancient,  Primitive,  and  Catholic.  Confirm'd  by  the 
example  of  Heathens,  Turks,  Infidels,  Primitive 
Christians,  Saints,  Popes,  Bishops,  Doctors, 
Philosophers,  Poets,  Free-Masons,  and  other  Men 
of  Learning  in  All  Ages.  By  a  Person  of  Honour, 
price  2S.  6d.* 

How  it  intrigues  one  to  know  who  were  the  Saints,  Popes, 
and  Bishops  thus  addicted  to  tippling!  Truly  a  chronique 
scandaleuse,  and  one  which  would  surely  have  appealed  to 
Louis  Maimbourg,  that  ingenious  Jesuit  historian,  had  it  but 
appeared  in  his  day.  We  are  told  that  he  never  took  up  his 
pen  till  he  had  heated  his  imagination  by  wine,  nor  ever 
attempted  to  describe  a  battle  till  he  had  drunk  two  bottles 
— lest,  as  he  said  jestingly,  the  horrors  of  the  combat  should 
enfeeble  his  style!  Perhaps  this  trait  in  his  character  also 
explains  how  it  was  that  '  he  signalised  himself  by  strange 
descriptions  and  burlesque  sallies  of  humour  in  the  pulpit,' 
and  that  his  works  exhibit  '  great  fire  and  rapidity  in  their 
style. 't  At  all  events  he  lived  to  be  seventy-six,  which  is 
some  consolation  to  those  who  seek  to  impart  originality  to 
their  work  by  this  means. 

Here  is  another  volume  that  I  should  like  to  possess,  from 
the  same  catalogue. 

The  Court  Gamester :  Or,  Full  and  Easy  Instruc- 
tions for  playing  the  Games  now  in  vogue,  after  the 
best  Method,  as  they  are  Played  at  Court,  and  in  the 
Assemblies,  viz.  Ombre,  Picquet,  and  the  Royal 
Game  of  Chess.  Wherein  the  Frauds  in  Play  are 
detected,  and  the  Laws  of  each  Game  annex'd,  to 


*  This  was  one  of  the  five  publications  on  account  of  which  Curll  was  set 
in  the  pillory  in  1725. 

t  L'Advocat :    Diet.  Histor. 


Books  of  the  Collector  187 

prevent  Disputes.     Written  for  the  Use  of  the  young 
Princesses. \     By  Richard  Seymour,  Esq.  price  2S. 

Evidently  Richard  Seymour,  Esq.,  had  some  experience  of  the 
young  princesses'  play.  One  wonders  whether  the  disputes 
were  frequent  and  heated,  and  whether  Richard  was  the 
detector  or  detected  with  regard  to  the  *  Frauds  in  Play  ' ! 

Enough,  however,  of  examples  :  you  will  find  abundance  in 
these  old  catalogues  to  keep  you  interested  and  amused  for 
many  an  hour.  Moreover,  your  natural  inquisitiveness  will 
enable  you  to  discover  a  great  deal  about  books  and  authors 
which  you  would  otherwise  never,  perhaps,  come  across.  For 
certain  titles  will  excite  your  interest  and  curiosity,  so  that 
you  will  '  look  up  '  the  volume  in  your  bibliography.  Then 
you  will  turn  to  your  biographical  dictionary  and  find  out  all 
that  you  can  about  the  author.  So  it  is  that  your  knowledge 
of  books  and  their  writers  will  grow.  It  is  a  pleasant  pastime, 
this  fireside  book-hunting,  and  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
collector.  Let  me  add,  as  a  note,  that  you  will  find  the 
'  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature '  valuable  for 
acquiring  a  contemporary  knowledge  of  books. 

With  regard  to  book-auctions  (which  seem  to  have  been 
introduced  into  Europe  by  the  Elzeviers)  and  sale-catalogues, 
you  will  find  all  the  information  that  you  may  require  upon 
this  subject  in  so  far  as  Great  Britain  is  concerned,  in  Mr. 
John  Lawler's  excellent  little  volume  '  Book  Auctions  in 
England  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,'  of  which  a  new  edition 
was  published  in  1906.  The  fashion  of  selling  books  to  the 
highest  bidder  is,  in  this  country,  of  comparatively  recent 
date ;  for  the  first  auction  of  books  held  in  London  was 
presided  over  in  1676  by  one  William  Cooper,  an  enterprising 
bookseller,  who  disposed  in  this  manner  of  the  library 
belonging  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lazarus  Seaman.  With  regard  to 
the  book-auctions  held  by  the  Elzeviers,  you  must  consult 
that  great  authority,  M.  Alphonse  Willems. 

tThe  italics  are  NOT  mine. 


188  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Before  leaving  this  subject  of  catalogues  I  cannot  forbear 
quoting  from  one  to  whom  I  am  already  indebted : 

'  In  perusing  these  old  catalogues  one  cannot  help  being 
astonished  at  the  sudden  and  great  increase  of  books ;  and 
when  one  reflects  that  a  great,  perhaps  the  greater,  part  of 
them  no  longer  exists,  this  perishableness  of  human  labours 
will  excite  the  same  sensations  as  those  which  arise  in  the 
mind  when  one  reads  in  a  church-yard  the  names  and  titles 
of  persons  long  since  mouldered  into  dust.  In  the  sixteenth 
century  there  were  few  libraries,  and  these,  which  did  not 
contain  mamy  books,  were  in  monasteries,  and  consisted 
principally  of  theological,  philosophical,  and  historical  works, 
with  a  few,  however,  on  jurisprudence  and  medicine :  while 
those  which  treated  of  agriculture,  manufactures,  and  trade, 
were  thought  unworthy  of  the  notice  of  the  learned  and  of 
being  preserved  in  large  collections.  The  number  of  these 
works  was,  nevertheless,  far  from  being  inconsiderable  ;  and 
at  any  rate  many  of  them  would  have  been  of  great  use,  as 
they  would  have  served  to  illustrate  the  instructive  history 
of  the  arts.  Catalogues,  which  might  have  given  occasion  to 
inquiries  after  books  that  may  be  still  somewhere  preserved, 
have  suffered  the  fate  of  tomb-stones,  which,  being  wasted 
and  crumbled  to  pieces  by  the  destroying  hand  of  time,  become 
no  longer  legible.  A  complete  series  of  them,  perhaps,  is  now 
nowhere  to  be  found.'* 

There  is  yet  another  side  of  book-collecting  with  which  it  is 
essential  that  the  bibliophile  become  acquainted,  and  that  is 
a  knowledge  of  the  scarce  and  valuable  editions  of  the  more 
modern  classic  writers.  By  *  modern  '  I  intend  those  authors 
who  flourished  during  the  nineteenth  and  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  centuries,  and  include  such  writers  as  Arnold,  the 
Brontes,  the  Brownings,  Burns,  Byron,  Carlyle,  Coleridge, 
Dickens,  Keats,  Lamb,  Shelley,  Stevenson,  Swinburne, 
Tennyson,    Thackeray,    and    other    famous    contemporaries. 

•  Beckmann,  op.  cit. 


Books  of  the  Collector  189 

You  may  meet  with  their  works  continually,  and  many  a  prize 
may  slip  through  your  hands  unless  you  are  acquainted  with 
the  collector's  desiderata  regarding  each  of  these  authors. 
Many  of  them,  perhaps  the  majority,  published  their  earhest 
works  anonymously  or  under  a  nom  de  plume,  and  when  once 
you  have  become  aware  of  the  titles  of  such  books  or  their 
writers'  pseudonyms,  you  are  not  likely  to  forget  them. 

A  few  years  ago  (1911)  Messrs.  Hodgson  the  auctioneers 
discovered  a  thin  folio  consisting  of  an  illustrated  title-page 
and  eight  lithographed  plates  depicting  scenes  in  the  life  of  a 
ballet-girl,  among  a  portfolio  of  engravings  which  had  been 
sent  to  them  for  disposal.  There  was  no  letterpress,  but  the 
title  ran  '  Flore  et  Zephyr,  Ballet  Mythologique  par 
Theophile  Wagstaffe,'  and  it  was  published  in  London  and 
Paris,  1836.  The  owner  thought  it  unworthy  of  notice  in  a 
lengthy  catalogue  of  his  books,  but  in  spite  of  its  Gallic  title 
its  author  was  none  other  than  Thackeray,  and  it  was  one  of 
his  first  publications.  On  being  offered  for  sale,  it  was 
knocked  down  at  £226. 

*  Poems  by  Two  Brothers,'  a  small  octavo  published  at 
London  in  1827,  will  bring  you  twenty  pounds  if  you  are  so 
fortunate  as  to  come  across  it.  The  brothers  were  Alfred  and 
Charles  Tennyson.  Then  there  is  a  sHm  octavo  of  some  150 
pages  which  appeared  at  Newark  in  1807,  entitled  '  Poems 
on  Various  Occasions.'  It  is  by  Lord  Byron,  and  is  worth 
fifty  pounds  at  least ;  if  in  the  original  boards,  more  than 
double  that  amount.  *  King  Glumpus :  an  Interlude  in  one 
Act,'  a  pamphlet  consisting  of  some  twenty  pages,  was 
probably  by  John  Barrow ;  but  it  was  illustrated  by 
Thackeray,  and  is  usually  to  be  found  under  the  heading 
*  Thackerayana.'  It  was  printed  in  1837,  on  blue  writing 
paper,  and  issued  privately  in  buff  wrappers.  Recently  it  has 
fetched  £153,  but  you  may  have  a  hundred  for  it  any  day.* 

Shelley's    'Adonais:    An   Elegy  on   the   Death   of  John 

•  Like  many  of  these  rarissima  it  has  been  reprinted  in  facsimile — crown 
8vo,  loo  copies  only,  1898. 


190  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Keats  '  was  first  published  at  Pisa  in  1821,  a  large  quarto  in 
blue  wrappers.  It  has  recently  fetched  2,050  dollars  in 
America,  and  you  may  have  even  more  for  a  perfect  copy,  in 
the  original  state,  of  his  '  Queen  Mab,'  printed  by  the  author 
at  23,  Chapel  Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  in  1813.  Both  are 
exceedingly  scarce.  Another  rare  book  of  Shelley's  is 
'  Original  Poetry,'  by  Victor  and  Cazire,'  which  was  put  forth 
at  Worthing  in  1810.  The  poet  wrote  it  in  his  youth,  and 
although  it  was  known  that  such  a  volume  had  been  printed 
and  that  it  had  been  suppressed  by  its  author  immediately 
before  publication,  it  was  considered  a  lost  work  until  its 
rediscovery  in  1897. 

Byron's  '  English  Bards  and  Scotch  Reviewers  '  one  can 
purchase  in  the  second,  third,  or  fourth  editions  (all  in  octavo) 
in  the  original  boards,  for  as  many  pence ;  though  the  first 
edition,  in  duodecimo,  undated,  is  scarce.  It  was  published 
in  1809,  and  has  but  fifty-four  pages  of  verse.  The  fourth 
edition  appeared  in  1811,  though  some  copies  are  dated  1810, 
and  has  one  thousand  and  fifty-two  lines  of  verse  in  eighty-five 
pages.  But  the  next  year  another  edition  was  put  forth 
containing  eighteen  additional  lines.  For  this  (fifth)  edition 
the  title-page  of  the  fourth  edition  was  used.  It  was  not 
merely  rigidly  suppressed  by  the  author,  but  immediately 
prior  to  publication  it  was  destroyed  by  him,  and,  so  far  as 
I  am  aware,  only  one  copy  has,  till  now,  been  recovered.* 

For  Burns'  '  Poems,  chiefly  in  the  Scottish  Dialect,' 
published  at  Kilmarnock  in  1786,  you  may  have  two  hundred 
pounds  at  least ;  if  in  the  original  boards,  and  perfect,  consider- 
ably more.  A  copy  has  changed  hands  at  a  thousand.  Of 
Shelley's    'Alastor:    or  the    Spirit    of    Solitude,    and  other 


*  The  various  editions  and  impressions  of  this  book  have  given  rise  to  con- 
fused accounts  respecting  them.  The  British  Museum  Catalogue  gives  five 
distinct  impressions  of  the  third  edition  and  five  of  the  fourth  edition.  Of 
the  fourth  edition,  some  large-paper  copies  were  issued  ;  they  are  scarce  and 
worth  thirty  shillings  or  more.  The  first  edition  is  undated,  but  the  paper 
is  water-marked  '  1805  '.  A  copy  of  this  last,  in  the  original  boards  uncut, 
realised  205  dollars  in  New  York  in  March,  1920.  It  usually  fetches  about 
£5  in  England. 


Books  of  the  Collector  191 

Poems,'  octavo  181G,  Keats'  '  Endymion,'  1818,  Fitzgerald's 
'  Omar  Khayyam,'  published  by  Quaritch  in  1859,  and  a 
large  number  of  others,  you  will  learn  from  time  to  time. 
Mr.  J.  H.  Slater's  '  Early  Editions  ...  of  Modern  Authors,' 
which  appeared  in  1894,  will  be  of  value  to  you,  though  like 
all  works  which  deal  with  current  prices  it  now  needs  revision. 
From  the  bibliographical  standpoint  it  is  excellent,  but  the 
safest  guides  to  mere  market  values  are  the  quarterly  records 
of  auction-sale  prices  entitled  *  Book-Auction  Records,'  and 
the  bi-monthly  publication  known  as  '  Book-Prices  Current ' 
issued  by  Mr.  Elliot  Stock.  In  addition  there  are  biblio- 
graphies of  almost  all  the  greatest  Victorian  writers. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  early  editions  of  the  English 
classics  will  get  more  and  more  valuable  as  time  goes  on.  In 
the  case  of  many  it  may  be  years  before  any  decided  rise 
in  their  sale-room  price  takes  place ;  but  as  the  number  of 
book-collectors  increases  with  the  population,  while  the 
number  of  copies  of  these  desiderata  tends  to  become  less 
owing  to  the  absorption  of  certain  of  them  in  the  public 
libraries,  so  it  is  only  natural  that  increased  competition 
should  result  in  a  corresponding  increase  in  their  value. 

The  early  editions  of  Massinger,  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
and  of  the  later  Elizabethan  and  Stuart  dramatists,  which 
command  but  a  few  pounds  to-day,  will  run,  in  all  probability, 
well  into  three  figures  during  the  next  half-century.  A  good 
copy  of  the  first  issue  of  Milton's  '  Comus,'  printed  in  1637, 
could  be  had  for  £36  in  1864.  In  1898  one  with  the  title-page 
mended  brought  £150.  Ten  years  later  £317  was  not  thought 
excessive  for  it,  whilst  in  1916  a  fine  and  perfect  copy  made 
£800.  $14,250  was  the  ransom  of  a  copy  at  New  York 
in  1919. 

Other  books  there  are  which  have  had  similar  meteoric 
rises  in  value.  The  first  edition  of  Walton  and  Cotton's 
'  Compleat  Angler '  was  published  in  1653  at  one  and 
sixpence.  At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
average  price  for  a  fine  copy  seems  to  have  been  between 


192  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

three  and  four  pounds.  In  1850  so  much  as  fifteen  pounds 
was  paid  for  a  copy  in  a  similar  state.  Thirty  years  later  it 
had  risen  to  eighty-five  pounds,  and  during  the  few  years 
following,  the  demand  for  it  seems  to  have  increased  its  value 
considerably,  for  in  1887  a  copy  realised  no  less  than  £200. 
But  eight  years  later  even  this  sum  was  easily  doubled.  Then 
•came  the  Van  Antwerp  sale  at  Sotheby's.  A  perfect  copy, 
in  the  original  sheepskin  binding,  was  offered ;  the  hammer 
fell  at  the  enormous  figure  of  £1,290.  This  sum  has  not  yet 
'(1921)  been  eclipsed  ;  but  that  it  was  not  a  fancy  price*  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  in  1909  a  copy  not  in  the  original 
^binding  realised  no  less  than  £1,085. 

In  the  collection  of  these  early  impressions  of  the  great 
Avriters,  however,  you  must  exercise  considerable  caution  and 
judgment.  The  examples  which  I  have  quoted  will  show  you 
that  it  is  not  always  immediately,  nor  even  within  a  lifetime 
from  their  death,  that  the  works  of  our  greatest  authors  become 
valuable.  '  Fame  is  a  revenue  payable  only  to  our  ghosts,* 
wrote  Sir  George  Mackenzie,  and  for  literary  fame  Time  is 
indeed  the  ordeal  by  fire.  We  may  look  upon  the  auction- 
room  as  a  Court  of  Claims  to  Literary  Fame,  but  it  is  public 
opinion,  backing  the  authorities  who  sit  round  the  table,  that 
determines  each  claimant's  case.  It  is  the  book  that  makes 
the  price,  not  the  price  that  makes  the  book.  Doubtless  those 
who,  relying  upon  their  own  judgment  alone,  gave  fifty  pounds 
for  Tennyson's  '  Helen's  Tower '  (1861)  some  twenty  years 
ago,  thought  they  were  safe  in  their  investment.  Yet  twelve 
years  later  it  could  be  had  for  thirty  shillings.  Fitzgerald's 
'  Polonius,'  1852,  was  once  thought  cheap  at  five  guineas. 
To-day  you  may  buy  it  for  little  more  than  a  sovereign. 

It  is  a  risky  business,  this  collecting  of  the  early  editions 
of  authors  dead  but  a  generation  ago  ;  and  he  would  be  a 
bold  man  who  ventured  to  assert  that  the  present  prices  of 


*  The  three  copies  which  were  sold  between  Dec.  1919  and  June  1920, 
however,  fetched  2,200  dollars,  £410,  and  £600.  The  last  was  in  the  original 
sheepskin. 


Books  of  the  Collector  193 

the  first  editions  of  the  Victorian  authors  may  be  considered 
as  stable.     Bargains  are  bargains,  and  the  temptation  to  buy 
is  often  great.       But  what  constitutes  a  bargain  from  the 
collector's  point  of  view?       You  cannot  define   it  without 
reference  to  price,  worth,  or  value  ;  and  if  these  be  unstable  • 
it  cannot  constitute  a  bargain.     '  An  advantageous  purchase  ' 
say  the  dictionaries ;  but  if  the  price  drop  subsequently  is  it 
advantageous  to  you  ?     You  may  think  to  play  the  wise  man  _ 
by  collecting  early  editions  of  your  own  or  your  father's . 
contemporaries,  but  it  is  odds  on  that  you  will  burn  your- 
fingers.     Yet  the  works  of  those  great  writers,  those  immortals . 

'  On  Fame's  eternall  beadroll  worthie  to  be  fyled ' 

are  stable  in  our  affections  as  is  the  sun  in  the  firmament. 
Whatever  fortune  may  overtake  the  works  of  those  ephemerals , 
whom    by    mere   fashion    we    applaud    to-day    and    neglect 
to-morrow,  the  works  of  those  great  writers  who  have  been 
accorded  a  niche  in  the  hall  of  Fame  will  ever  command  out- 
purses  no  less  than  our  respect. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


A  PLEA  FOR  SPECIALISM 

'  The  road  lies  plain  before  me ;  'tis  a  theme 
Single  and  of  determined  bounds.' — Wordsworth. 

lOST  book-collectors  embark  upon  their 
life-long  hobby  without  any  clearly  defined 
scheme  of  collecting,  buying  just  those  books 
which  take  their  fancy,  and  in  many  cases 
not  realising  that  they  have  caught  the  dread 
contagion  of  bibliomania  until  they  suddenly 
find  that  more  shelf-room  is  required  for  their  books,  and 
that  the  expenditure  upon  their  hobby  is  growing  out  of  all 
proportion  to  their  means.  It  is  then  generally  too  late  to 
stop,  and  although  they  may  avoid  the  book-stalls  for  some 
days,  nay  even  weeks,  the  passion  of  collecting  is  only 
dormant,  and  will  break  out  with  renewed  vigour  either  upon 
a  sudden  (though  perhaps  only  temporary)  condition  of 
affluence,  or  upon  the  receipt  of  that  most  insidious  of  all 
temptations,  a  bookseller's  catalogue — especially  if  it  be  a 
*  clearance  '  one. 

This  passion  for  collecting  books  resolves  itself  at  length 
into  two  categories.  Either  the  patient  grows  rapidly  worse 
and  plunges  headlong  into  the  vortex  of  auctions,  catalogues, 
and  bibUographies,  amassing  during  the  process  a  vast  nonde- 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  195 

script  collection  of  books ;  or  else  he  improves  slowly  but 
surely,  growing  daily  shrewder  in  his  purchases.  So  that  at 
length,  having  completely  recovered  his  composure,  he  finds 
himself  the  possessor  of  a  collection  of  books  valuable  alike 
from  commercial  and  utilitarian  standpoints. 

The  former  of  these  collectors  is  generally  said  to  suffer 
from  acute  bibliomania.  His  knowledge  of  books  is  vast  but 
of  a  general  kind,  and  for  practical  purposes  it  cannot  compare 
with  that  acquired  by  his  fellow-collector  who  had  seen  the 
folly  of  a  headlong  course.  His  complaint  is  well  known  ; 
indeed  it  was  recognised  in  the  first  century  of  our  era,  when 
Seneca  condemned  the  rage  for  mere  book-collecting,  and 
rallied  those  who  were  more  pleased  with  the  outsides  than 
the  insides  of  their  volumes.  Lucian,  too,  in  the  next  century, 
employed  his  prolific  pen  in  exposing  this  then  common  folly. 

Even  the  wise  collector,  however,  runs  some  risk  of  being 
engulfed  by  his  hobby  and  swept  away  by  the  flood  of  books. 
There  is  but  one  remedy,  or  rather  alleviation,  for  book- 
collecting  is  quite  incurable  and  follows  a  man  to  his  grave 
(unless,  of  course,  he  be  cast  upon  a  desert  island),  and  that 
is  specialistn. 

Every  collector  should  become  a  specialist.  It  will  give 
him  a  definite  ambition,  something  to  look  for  among  other 
books,  something  to  complete ;  and  there  is  a  thousand  times 
more  satisfaction  in  possessing  a  select  collection  of  works 
of  a  definite  class  or  upon  a  definite  subject,  than  in  the 
accumulation  of  a  vast  heterogeneous  mass  of  books.  He  will 
get  to  know  the  greater  part  of  the  works  upon  his  own 
subject,  become  an  authority  upon  it  in  time,  and  perhaps 
will  even  attempt  a  bibliography  if  it  be  an  out-of-the-way 
subject.  He  will  know  precisely  what  he  wants,  what  to 
search  for,  and  what  price  to  pay.  In  short,  he  will  be  lifted 
out  of  the  fog  of  miscellaneous  books  into  the  clear  atmos- 
phere of  a  definite  and  known  class  of  works. 

It  is  such  an  easy  step,  and  such  an  immensely  important 
one,  this  determination  to  confine  one's  collecting  activities 


196  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

to  a  certain  class  of  books.  '  What  a  blessing  it  is,'  said  a 
book-loving  friend  not  long  ago,  *  not  to  have  to  worry  about 
all  sorts  of  books.  I  have  never  ceased  congratulating  myself 
that  I  took  the  resolution  to  confine  myself  entirely  to  Herbals. 
Before,  I  had  a  vast  but  untrustworthy  knowledge  of  titles  and 
editions  which  a  bad  memory  did  not  assist.  Now,  thank 
goodness,  I  have  forgotten  all  that,  but  I  flatter  myself  that 
I  really  do  know  something  about  Herbals.* 

And  what  a  profitless  occupation  is  the  aimless  collecting 
of  heterogeneous  books.  If  bibliographical  knowledge  be  our 
aim,  their  very  diversity  tends  to  confuse  us.  If  recreation 
be  our  object,  better  far  to  join  a  circulating  library  than 
garner  volumes  which,  once  read,  are  never  to  be  opened 
again.  Learning  and  study  cannot  be  intended,  for  the 
formation  of  a  library  of  nondescript  books  collected  upon 
no  system  or  plan  can,  at  best,  endow  us  with  but  a  smattering 
of  knowledge. 

There  was  once  a  certain  bishop  who  used  continually 
to  collect  useless  luxuries.  The  Emperor  Charlemagne, 
perceiving  this,  ordered  a  merchant  who  traded  in  rare  and 
costly  objects  to  paint  a  common  mouse  with  different  colours 
and  to  offer  it  to  the  bishop,  as  being  a  rare  and  curious  animal 
which  he  had  just  brought  from  Palestine.  The  bishop  is 
transported  with  delight  at  the  sight  of  it,  and  immediately 
offers  the  merchant  three  silver  pounds  for  such  a  treasure. 
But  the  merchant,  acting  on  his  instructions,  bargains  with 
the  bishop,  saying  that  he  would  rather  throw  it  into  the  sea 
than  sell  it  for  so  little.  Finally  the  bishop  offers  twenty 
pounds  for  it.  The  merchant,  wrapping  up  the  '  ridiculus 
mus '  in  precious  silk,  is  going  away  when  the  collector, 
unable  to  bear  the  thought  of  losing  so  great  a  curio,  calls 
him  back  and  says  that  he  will  give,  him  a  bushel  of  silver 
for  it.  This  the  merchant  accepts  :  the  money  is  paid ;  and 
the  merchant  returns  to  the  Emperor  to  give  him  an  account 
of  the  transaction. 

Then  Charlemagne  convokes  the  bishops  and  priests  of  all 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  197 

the  province,  and  placing  before  them  the  money  which  the 
mouse  has  fetched,  reads  them  a  homely  lesson  on  the  foolish- 
ness of  collecting  profitless  trifles.  Sternly  he  enjoins  them 
in  future  to  use  their  money  in  administering  to  the  wants  of 
the  poor  rather  than  to  throw  it  away  on  such  unprofitable 
baubles  as  a  painted  mouse.  The  guilty  bishop,  now  become 
the  laughing-stock  of  the  province,  is  permitted  to  depart 
without  punishment. 

Doubtless  the  great  majority  of  book-collectors  are  not 
specialists.  They  may  set  greater  store  by  a  certain  class 
of  works  which  appeals  to  them  from  some  whimsical  reason, 
but  until  they  have  grown  middle-aged  in  their  pursuit  most 
of  them  are  but  dilettanti. 

'  Yes,'  I  can  hear  you  exclaim,  '  but  if  your  collecting 
propensities  are  to  be  curbed  and  countless  books  passed 
by,  books  which  your  very  instinct  urges  you  to  acquire, 
surely  you  will  lose  most  of  the  charm  of  collecting?  How 
dull  to  be  obliged  to  purchase  only  those  works  to  which  you 
have  vowed  to  confine  yourself.' 

Dull !  No.  I  can  assure  you  from  my  own  experience  that 
this  restraint  will  but  serve  to  redouble  your  eagerness,  to 
sharpen  an  appetite  in  danger  of  becoming  blunted  by  a 
plethora  of  desiderata  and  a  shrinkage  of  your  purse.  So 
that  whereas  before,  a  short  stroll  about  the  book-shops  would 
discover  to  you  abundance,  or  at  least  plenty,  of  books  that 
you  would  like  casually  to  possess,  now  that  you  have  become 
a  specialist  you  must  go  further  afield.  Often  you  will  return 
empty-handed  from  your  rambles,  and  your  sanctum  (to  the 
delight  of  the  housemaid)  will  not  be  invaded  quite  so  often 
by  stacks  of  *  dirty  old  books.'  Order  will  come  out  of  chaos  ; 
many  works  bought  upon  impulse  because  they  appealed  to 
you  at  the  moment  will  be  weeded  out  and  discarded. 
Moreover  the  shillings  which  this  process  yields  will  enable 
you  to  send  that  priceless  gem,  the  chef  d*oeuvre  of  your 
collection,  to  the  binder's,  that  its  extrinsic  appearance  may 
be  fashioned  in  keeping  with  its  intrinsic  worth. 


N 


198  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

More  important  still,  you  will  become  a  known  man.  The 
booksellers  will  remember  you,  and  one  day  when  you  reach 
home  from  a  long  and  barren  ramble,  you  will  find  a  postcard 
awaiting  you,  announcing  the  discovery  of  some  book  for 
which  you  have  long  sought. 

'  Sir, — I  have  found  a  copy  of  the  Vitruvius  fo. 
Venice,  1535,  ^^^*  X^"  asked  me  for  some  time  ago. 
You  can  have  it  for  los.  (vellum,  clean  copy).  Shall 
I  send  it? — Yours  respectfully,        John  Brown.' 

Your  ramble  may  have  been  on  a  cold  winter's  afternoon,  it 
may  have  been  raining  and  muddy  underfoot,  but  will  not  this 
cheer  you  up  and  warm  you  better  than  any  cup  of  tea  ?  And 
what  will  be  your  sensations  as  you  undo  the  parcel,  take  out 
the  treasure  (which  you  once  saw  in  Johnson's  catalogue  for 
£3),  turn  eagerly  to  its  title-page,  and  collate  it  as  gently  as 
though  you  were  handling  some  priceless  work  of  art  1  Don't 
tell  me !  The  specialist  gets  a  thousand  times  more  pleasure 
out  of  his  hobby  than  ever  did  casual  buyer.  Besides,  what 
rapture  will  be  his  whenever  he  chance  upon  some  book  for 
which  he  has  long  been  searching,  or  upon  some  work  on  his 
very  subject  and  yet  imknown  to  him  ;  for  book-collecting 
is  full  of  surprises. 

Some  of  the  booksellers  will  ask  you  for  a  list  of  your  wants. 
You  may  safely  supply  them  with  one,  and  it  is  not  necessary 
to  state  the  maximum  price  which  you  are  prepared  to  pay  for 
each.  Should  you  do  so,  probably  it  will  be  taken  to  indicate 
that  you  are  prepared  to  pay  the  price  named,  and  the  book 
when  found  will  be  offered  to  you  at  that  price  (or  a  few 
shillings  less  to  give  the  idea  of  a  bargain)  when  you  might 
have  had  it  at  a  considerably  lower  figpire.  Remember  also 
that  the  very  fact  of  a  book  being  sought  for  enhances  its 
price.  Suppose  that  a  country  bookseller  sees  an  advertise- 
ment in  the  trade  journal  asking  for  a  copy  of  a  certain 
obscure  sixteenth-century  work,  and  that  he  recollects  he  has 
a  copy  somewhere  in  stock.     He  finds  it  among  his  shelves 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  199 

meirked,  possibly,  five  shillings.  When  he  answers  the 
advertisement  it  is  more  than  likely  that  he  will  ask  a  pound 
or  even  two  for  it.  At  the  same  time,  however,  you  must 
consider  whether  or  not  the  book  is  worth  as  much  to  you. 
It  may  be  a  little  known  and,  to  the  world  at  large,  a  valueless 
book,  and  you  may  have  to  wait  some  years  before  you  are 
able  to  secure  a  copy ;  whereas  by  advertising  for  it  you  may 
procure  a  copy  almost  immediately.  Do  you  prefer  to  take 
the  chance  of  having  to  wait  years  for  a  book  which  you 
urgently  want,  or  to  pay  a  longish  price  and  possess  it  at 
once? 

There  is  another  point  to  be  considered.  Should  you  ever 
part  with  your  collection  en  bloc,  or  should  your  executors 
dispose  of  it,  this  volume  will  be  an  item  of  the  collection  of 
works  in  which  you  specialise.  As  such  it  will  be  much  more 
likely  to  realise  the  larger  than  the  smaller  price,  especially 
as  the  disposal  of  a  collection  of  books  upon  a  definite  subject 
attracts  to  the  rostrum  other  collectors  of  a  Hke  class  of  works. 

Surely  every  book-collector  is  in  his  heart  of  hearts  a 
specialist.  Have  you  ever  taken  into  your  hands  some  choice 
gem  of  your  collection  without  wishing  that  there  were  others 
in  your  library  of  the  same  genus  ?  Is  there  not  some  one 
volume  among  your  books  that  demands  your  first  considera- 
tion when  new  shelving  is  put  up,  when  your  books  are 
re-arranged ;  the  volume  to  which  you  would  fly  first  of  all 
if  a  fire  broke  out  in  your  sanctum  ?  Brother  bookman,  I  can 
almost  heajr  you  turn  in  your  chair  at  the  awful  prospect  of 
having  to  make  choice  between  your  beloved  tomes !  Indeed 
I  am  with  you  whole-heartedly,  for  there  are  two  books, 
two  priceless  gems,  rescued  (the  one  from  Austria,  the 
other  France)  after  years  of  patient  search,  two  books 
which  ever  strive  for  the  ascendancy  in  my  bibliophilic 
affections.  Far  from  me  be  it  to  make  distinction  between 
them.  Granted,  however,  that  you  have  made  up  your 
mind  as  to  the  identity  of  the  treasure,  do  you  not 
wish   to   possess   other   equally   choice   works   of  the   same 


200  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

class,  on  the  same  subject?  Suppose  some  distant  relative 
of  yours  with  great  propriety  should  die,  bequeathing  you  all 
unexpectedly  far  more  worldly  goods  than  you  had  ever  hoped 
to  possess ;  supposing  also  that  you  were  '  without  encum- 
brances '  or  ties  of  any  description,  and  that  your  sole  aim 
and  ambition  in  this  world  was  the  collecting  unto  yourself 
of  the  choicest  fruits  of  master  minds :  what  would  be  your 
first  act,  in  so  far  as  your  hobby  is  concerned  ? 

I  know  what  our  book-hunter  would  do  under  such 
conditions.  He  would  take  the  next  train  to  Paris,  proceed 
to  a  certain  shop  not  a  great  distance  from  the  Rue  St.  Honore, 
mount  the  step-ladder  and  hand  down  to  the  delighted  Henri 
just  precisely  what  he  fancied  in  kis  own  particular  line. 
This  process  he  would  continue  elsewhere  until  he  had  formed 
a  goodly  nucleus  round  which  to  amass  still  scarcer  volumes 
as  they  came  to  hand.  And  I  venture  to  think  that  you  would 
do  the  same,  though  not  necessarily  in  Paris. 

What  is  it  that  makes  a  man  a  speciahst?  Is  it  a  particular 
knowledge  of  a  certain  subject?  Do  all  book-collecting 
doctors  garner  only  herbals  and  early  medical  works  ?  Does 
the  poet-collector  specialise  in  poetry,  the  freemason  in 
masonic  books,  the  angler  in  works  dealing  only  with  his 
pastime  ? 

Not  always,  perhaps  ;  but  doubtless  this  is  the  case  with  the 
great  majority  of  collectors.  Sometimes  a  chance  purchase 
may  shape  the  entire  course  of  a  man's  collecting,  sometimes 
he  is  led  to  the  subject  to  which  he  devotes  his  collecting 
energies  by  devious  byways.  Our  book-hunter  has  a  friend 
who  began  to  collect  old  French  books  on  Chivalry  through  a 
touch  of  influenza.  When  convalescent  his  doctor  ordered 
him  a  sea-voyage.  An  hour  after  the  advice  was  given  he  met 
a  shipping  friend,  who  offered  him  a  cabin  in  a  ship  just  about 
to  start  on  a  trading  voyage  in  the  Mediterranean.  At  Crete 
the  ship  was  detained  for  some  repairs,  so  he  took  the 
opportunity  to  visit  Rhodes  in  a  coasting  vessel.  He  was 
much  struck  with  the  famous  Street  of  the  Knights  and  ancient 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  201 

buildings  of  the  great  military  Order  that  once  owned  the 
island,  and  regretted  that  he  knew  so  little  about  it.  Nor 
did  his  scanty  knowledge  of  these  things  enable  him  to 
appreciate  to  the  full  the  buildings  of  the  Order  at  Malta. 

On  his  return  to  this  country  he  spent  some  time  at  the 
British  Museum,  delving  into  these  knightly  records  of  the 
past,  but  was  unable  even  then  to  discover  all  that  he  wished 
to  know.  So  for  a  time  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Paris,  working 
daily  at  the  Archives,  the  Arsenal  Library,  and  Bibliotheque 
Nationale.  Then  came  the  Library  of  the  Vatican.  To-day 
his  collection  of  ancient  works  on  La  Chevalerie,  in  most  of 
the  languages  of  Europe,  is  a  thing  to  be  proud  of,  and  his 
sub-collection  on  the  Hospitallers  and  their  commanderies  is 
especially  rich.  Probably  there  are  few  works  upon  this 
subject  with  which  he  is  unacquainted,  and  the  bibliography 
upon  which  he  is  at  work  bids  fair  to  become  the  standard 
volume. 

What  an  immense  part  Chance  plays  in  all  our  lives.  Some 
of  the  most  momentous  events  in  the  world's  history  have 
turned  upon  the  most  trivial  happenings.  Had  not  a  wild 
boar  run  in  a  certain  direction,  probably  there  would  have 
been  no  Norman  Conquest  of  England !  Robert  of  Normandy, 
out  hunting  with  his  friends,  roused  a  boar  which,  running  a 
certain  course,  necessitated  the  duke's  return  through  the 
village  street  where  he  saw  and  fell  in  love  with  the  burgess's 
daughter  who  became  the  mother  of  William  the  Conqueror. 
Had  the  boar  run  north  instead  of  south,  probably  Robert 
would  never  have  seen  Arlette,  and  William  would  never  have 
been  born.  Olaf  of  Norway,  the  great  sea-king  whose  name 
was  feared  from  Brittany  to  the  Orkneys,  was  converted  to 
Christianity  by  a  chance  landing  at  the  Scilly  Isles,  where 
haply  he  visited  the  cell  of  a  holy  man  that  dwelt  there. 

Let  us  now  draw  up  a  list  of  those  subjects  which  generally 
engage  the  attention  of  specialists.  The  list  is  a  lengthy  one 
and  offers  an  infinite  variety.  Each  heading  will  comprise 
various  sub-headings,  and  of  these  I  shall  speak  more  in  detail. 


202 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 


1.  Arctic,  Antarctic,  Whaling. 

2.  Africa. 

3.  Americana. 

4.  Architecture,  Building  Con- 

struction. 

5.  Australasia. 

6.  Bibles. 

7.  Bibliography,  Bookbinding, 

Printing. 

8.  Biography,       Memoirs, 

Diaries. 

9.  Celebrated     Authors      and 

Books. 

10.  Celebrated  Presses. 

11.  Chapbooks,  Ballads,  Broad- 

sides. 

12.  Civil    War    and    Common- 

wealth. 

13.  Classics. 

14.  Cookery  Books. 

15.  Costume. 

16.  Crime  and  Prisons. 

17.  Dictionaries,   Etymology. 

18.  Drama,  the  Stage. 

19.  Early-printed  books. 

20.  Early  Romances. 

21.  Economics. 

22.  Facetiae,     Curiosa,     Books 

on  Gallantry. 

23.  Fine  Arts,  including  Tech- 

nique, Theory,  Criticism, 
History  of  the  Arts, 
Furniture,  Tapestries, 
Decorations,  Gems, 
Ceramics,  Plate. 

24.  First  Editions  of  Esteemed 

Authors. 

25.  Folk-lore,      Fables,      Mys- 

teries. 

26.  Freemasonry,    Rosicrucian- 

ism,  and  Secret  Societies. 


27.  French  Revolution. 

28.  Gardening. 

29.  Heraldry,        Chivalry, 

Crusades,  Genealogy, 
Peerages,  Ceremonies, 
and  books  on  Seals  and 
Brasses. 

30.  History  and  Chronicles. 

31.  Husbandry,  Agriculture. 

32.  Illustrated  Books,  Books  of 

Engravings. 
Zy  Legal. 

34.  Liturgies,  Mass  and  Prayer 

Books. 

35.  Locally-printed  books. 

36.  Mathematical      and     Early 

Scientific. 

37.  Medical    (Early),    including 

Herbals  and  Early 
Botanical. 

38.  Military,  including  Archery, 

Arms,  Armour,  Fencing, 
and  Duelling. 

39.  Music. 

40.  Napoleon. 

41.  Natural  History. 

42.  Nautical  and  Naval. 

43.  Numismatics,  Medals. 

44.  Occult,     Astrology,    Astro- 

nomy, Alchemy,  Witch- 
craft, Magic. 

45.  Pamphlets  and  Tracts. 

46.  Philosophy. 

47.  Poetry. 

48.  Privately-printed  books. 

49.  School  books. 

50.  Sport,  Games,  Pastimes. 

51.  Theology,  Lives  and  Works 

of  the  Early  Fathers, 
History  of  the  Church, 
Inquisition,  works  oa 
the  Religious  Sects. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  203 


52.  Tobacco. 

53.  Topography,  including 

Atlases,  Geography,  and 
County  Histories. 


54.  Trades. 

55.  Travels  and  Exploration, 

56.  Voyages,  Shipwrecks. 


From  this  list  are  purposely  omitted  books  printed  upon 
vellum,  Books  of  Hours  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  illuminated 
books  ;  for  these  are  rarities  within  reach  of  the  wealthy  only. 
Nor  is  '  bindings  '  included,  for  the  man  who  collects  these 
is  no  book-lover  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  and  his 
hobby  does  not  fall  properly  within  the  category  of  book- 
collecting,  being  classed  rather  under  the  heading  Art  and 
Vertu,  Bric-a-Brac,  or  what  you  will.  Naturally  all  book- 
collectors  (save  perhaps  the  '  original-boards-uncut  '  man)  are 
sensible  to  the  charm  of  a  choicely  bound  copy,  provided 
always  that  the  binding  be  appropriate  and  that  it  is  impossible 
to  obtain  the  book  in  its  original  covers  ;  but  it  is  for  some- 
thing more  than  the  mere  outsides  of  his  treasures  that  the  real 
book-lover  cares. 

Needless  to  say,  there  are  other  subjects  which  have  their 
devotees.  Some  collectors  specialise  in  large-paper  copies, 
some  prefer  certain  editions  which  contain  matter  suppressed 
later.  Others  collect  early  children's  books,  gipsy  literature, 
Egyptology,  books  on  inventions,  ballooning,  etc.  But  most  of 
these  are  more  in  the  nature  of  sub-headings  to  the  subjects 
in  our  list,  and  offer  a  more  restricted  field  of  collecting. 
Indeed  I  am  in  some  doubt  as  to  whether  the  large-paper 
collector  should  be  included  here,  for  his  penchant  is  as  far 
removed  from  true  book-collecting  as  is  that  of  the  specialist 
in  bindings.  His  hobby  can  have  nothing  to  do  with 
literature,  since  it  is  only  the  external  characteristics  of  a  book 
which  appeal  to  him.  He  may  be  '  wise  in  his  generation,* 
but  his  pursuit  approaches  closely  to  bibliomania.  This 
objection  may  perhaps  also  be  urged  against  one  other  subject 
in  our  list,  namely,  privately-printed  books.     But  here  there 


204  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

is  an  ulterior  interest  beyond  the  mere  singularity  of  their 
production ;  for  there  are  very  many  books  of  great  merit, 
chiefly  memoirs  and  family  histories,  which  their  authors  have 
designed,  from  personal  and  contemporary  reasons,  to  come 
only  into  the  hands  of  their  own  families  and  acquaintances. 

So  here  is  your  list,  reader,  take  your  choice.  But  perchance 
you  are  already  numbered  among  the  elect,  one  of  those  magi 
among  bibliophiles  who  are  at  once  the  despair  of  the  book- 
sellers and  the  wise  men  of  their  generation  ?  Is  it  not  to  the 
specialists  that  we  owe  the  bulk  of  our  knowledge  of  old 
books — for  who  else  is  it  that  produce  the  bibliographies, 
numerous  but  not  nearly  numerous  enough,  that  delight  the 
heart  of  the  collector?  All  praise  to  them,  and,  brother 
bibliophile,  if  you  are  not  yet  of  their  number  in  heart  at 
least,  read  through  the  foregoing  list  once  more  and  put  a 
mark  with  your  pencil  against  the  heading  which  is  most  to 
your  taste.  If  you  do  not  see  your  chosen  subject  at  once, 
a  scrutiny  will  probably  discover  it  for  you  included  in  another 
and  wider  subject.*  For  example.  Astronomy  and  Astrology, 
inseparably  bound  up  in  the  ancient  works,  are  included  in 
the  heading  *  Occult.'  Herbals,  which  deal  with  the  medicinal 
qualities  of  plants,  you  will  find  under  '  Medical.' 

Is  your  purse  a  long  one  ?  Would  you  not  like  to  gamer 
fohos  and  quartos  with  weird  and  heavy  types  that  speak  of 
a  craft  yet  in  its  infancy ;  books  that  perchance  have  seen 
or  even  been  handled  by  the  actual  combatants  of  Bamet  or 
of  Bosworth  Field ;  books  with  monstrous  crude  yet  wholly 
delightful  woodcuts  that  bring  before  us  the  actual  appearance 
of  our  forebears  under  the  King-maker,  Richard  Crouchback, 
and  Harry  Richmond?  Or  would  you  like  to  gather  to 
yourself  as  many  examples  as  you  may,  in  the  finest  possible 
condition,  of  the  exquisite  art  of  Aldo  Manuccio  the  elder? 
But  perhaps  the  following,  from  a  recent  catalogue,  represents 
a  class  (20)  more  to  your  palate. 

•  Or  turn  to  the  index. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  205 

L'Histoire  du  tres  fameux  et  tres  redoute  Palmerin 
d'Olive  ....  traduite  de  Castillan  en  Francoys 
reueue  et  derechef  mise  en  son  entier,  selon  nostre 
vulgaire  moderne  et  usite,  par  Jean  Maugin,  dit 
I'Angeuin.  With  45  large  spirited  woodcuts  {some 
being  nearly  full-page)  representing  duels,  battles, 
etc.,  and  132  large  ornamental  initial  letters.  Folio, 
Paris,  1553. 

Is  your  purse  a  light  one?  Then  fifteenth-century  books 
are  denied  you,  as  are  all  other  esteemed  works  of  the  Middle 
Ages  such  as  romances  and  classics.  But  there  is  hardly 
another  heading  in  our  list,  save  perhaps  the  first  editions  of 
the  great  authors,  which  you  may  not  make  your  own.  Almost 
every  subject  has  its  bibliography,  and  many  fresh  volumes 
are  added  yearly  to  the  ever-increasing  list  of  '  books  about 
books.'  You  will  find  what  bibliographies  have  appeared 
upon  your  particular  subject,  up  to  1912,  by  referring  to 
Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney's  '  Register  of  National  Bibliography,' 
which  should  be  (if  indeed  it  is  not)  in  every  public  library 
throughout  the  kingdom. 

Some  day  an  enterprising  public  body  will  purchase  a 
building  with  fifty-five  rooms  (or  thereabouts),  each  of  which 
will  contain  a  small  and  carefully  selected  collection  of  books 
on  each  one  of  these  subjects.  Each  room  will  have  its  own 
catalogue  and  its  own  librarian,  who  will  be  an  expert  in  the 
subject  over  which  he  presides.  The  rooms,  of  course,  will 
vary  in  size  according  to  the  magnitude  of  the  subject  and 
the  number  of  sub-headings  which  it  comprises.  Readers  will 
have  access  to  the  shelves  in  almost  every  case,  books  of  great 
value  alone  being  kept  under  lock  and  key. 

How  invaluable  such  a  library  would  be,  and  what  a  vast 
amount  of  time  would  all  readers  be  saved !  We  should  know 
instantly  to  whom  to  turn  for  expert  advice  upon  any  subject 
— for  the  sub-librarians  would  naturally  be  acquainted  with 
more  than  the  mere  outsides  of  the  volumes  in  their  charge. 


206  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

We  should  be  able  to  handle  the  latest  works  upon  our  subject 
immediately  ;  and  we  should  have,  ready  to  our  hand,  a  history 
of  its  literature  from  the  earliest  times  to  the  present  day. 

As  to  whether  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  by  this  method 
would  not  turn  us  all  into  journalists,  however,  is  another 
matter. 

With  the  first  heading  in  our  list  shall  be  included  several 
others,  namely  (2)  Africa ;  (5)  Australasia ;  (55)  Travels  and 
Explorations  (which  heading  includes  every  land  under  the 
sun  not  specially  mentioned  in  our  hst),  and  (56)  Voyages  and 
Shipwrecks ;  in  short,  all  those  subjects  which  concern 
'  foreign  parts.'  They  are  subjects  which  are  most  likely 
to  engage  the  attentions  of  collectors  who  have  been  seafaring 
in  their  time,  though,  as  has  been  shown  in  Chapter  II.,  it  is 
not  every  traveller  who  has  been  far  afield. 

Books  on  Arctic  and  Antarctic  exploration,  as  well  as 
whaling  voyages,  comprise  much  reading  that  is  as  interesting 
to  the  landsman  as  to  the  sailor.  Most  of  its  literature  is 
within  easy  reach  of  the  collector  of  modest  means,  though  the 
earlier  volumes  are  naturally  increasing  gradually  in  price. 
One  of  the  hardest  to  obtain  is  William  Scoresby's  *  Account 
of  the  Arctic  Regions,'  which  was  published  in  two  octavo 
volumes  at  Edinburgh  in  1820.  You  will  be  lucky  if  you 
find  a  clean  sound  copy  of  it  with  the  plates  unspotted.  It  is 
now  getting  very  scarce,  as  is  Weddell's  '  Voyage  towards  the 
South  Pole  in  1822-24  '  (octavo,  London,  1825). 

Each  of  these  headings  can  be  subdivided  according  to  your 
requirements.  Africa  you  may  divide  conveniently  into  West, 
South,  East,  and  Central ;  North  Africa  being  best  classified 
under  the  various  countries  which  it  contains,  namely,  Algiers, 
Morocco,  Tripoli,  and  Tunis.  Egypt,  of  course,  has  a  vast 
literature  of  its  own.  Similarly  books  on  Australasia  may  be 
divided  into  those  which  deal  with  Polynesia,  New  Guinea, 
Australia  (again  divided  into  its  states),  Tasmania,  and  New 
Zealand ;  though,  properly  speaking,  the  first  of  these  should 
be  classified  under  the  heading  '  Voyages.' 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  207 

There  is  little  doubt  that  those  collectors  who  have  devoted 
their  energies  during  the  past  twenty-five  years  to  the 
collecting  of  books  on  Africa,  especially  the  South,  will  prove 
at  no  very  distant  date  to  have  been  wise  in  their  purchases. 
Just  as  early  Americana  are  so  eagerly  bought  by  our 
neighbours  across  the  Atlantic  at  immense  prices,  far  and 
away  out  of  all  proportion  to  their  intrinsic  worth  as  literature 
or  history,  so  will  the  day  come  when  those  of  our  kin  whose 
fathers  sought  a  home  in  the  '  great  dark  continent  '  will  go 
to  any  length  to  procure  works  which  deal  with  the  early 
history  of  that  newer  world  ;  and  this  will  be  the  case,  perhaps 
even  sooner,  with  our  Australasian  friends. 

The  early  books  on  Australia  are  most  interesting.  Besides 
Governor  PhiUip's  '  Voyage  to  Botany  Bay  *  (1789)  and  his 
Letters  therefrom  (1791)  there  are  such  compilations  as 
John  Callander's  version  of  the  Comte  de  Tournay's  '  Terra 
Australis  Cognita,'  or  Voyages  to  the  Southern  Hemisphere 
during  the  Sixteenth,  Seventeenth,  and  Eighteenth  Centuries, 
three  octavo  volumes  published  at  Edinburgh  between  176G 
and  1768.  Then  there  is  Admiral  Hunter's  '  Historical 
Journal  of  the  Transactions  at  Port  Jackson  and  Norfolk 
Island'  (1793).*  Hunter  sailed  with  the  first  fleet  in  1787 
under  Arthur  Phillip,  the  first  governor  of  Botany  Bay,  as 
second  in  command  of  H.M.S.  Sirius,  and  afterwards  became 
governor-general  of  New  South  Wales  in  succession  to 
Phillip.  His  journal  gives  a  very  valuable  account  of  the  early 
days  of  the  Colony.  Barrington's,  Mitchell's,  and  Sturt's 
handsome  volumes,  all  with  fine  plates,  are  still  to  be  had  for 
shillings.     They  seem  a  very  good  investment. 

Books  on  the  South  Seas  have  a  peculiar  interest,  for  the 
subject  at  once  conjures  up  the  name  of  the  immortal  Captain 
Cook  ;  and  the  accounts  of  his  remarkable  voyages  between 
1768  and  1779  are  perhaps  the  most  eagerly  sought  for  of  all 
books  on  Polynesia.     The  first  voyage  of  discovery  in  which 

*  Quarto.     It  was  abridged  in  octavo  the  same  year. 


208  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  great  explorer  took  part  was  in  the  years  1768  to  1771. 
His  ship,  the  Endeavour,  was  accompanied  in  the  first  part 
of  the  voyage  by  the  Dolphin  and  Swallow  ;  and  an  account 
of  the  Endeavour' s  voyage  was  pubhshed  surreptitiously  in 
1771  by,  it  is  said,  certain  of  the  petty  officers  of  Cook's 
vessel.*  But  the  compilation  of  an  authentic  account  of  the 
voyage,  from  the  rough  notes  and  diaries,  was  entrusted  to 
Dr.  Hawkesworth,  and  was  published  in  1773  in  three  quarto 
volumes.  From  this  task  Hawkesworth  gleaned  £6000,  and 
although  we  are  told  that  the  book  *  was  read  with  an  avidity 
proportioned  to  the  novelty  of  the  adventures  which  it 
recorded,'  yet  the  compiler  so  far  offended  against  the  canons 
of  good  taste  as  to  cause  considerable  offence.  Cook  gained 
such  credit  for  his  intrepidity  that  he  was  promptly  promoted 
from  lieutenant  to  commander. 

A  second  expedition  was  soon  planned,  and  in  1772  the 
Resolution  and  the  Adventure  set  sail,  the  former  returning 
to  England  in  1775.  The  results  of  this  voyage  were  drawn 
up  by  Captain  Cook  himself,  and  published  in  1777  in  two 
quarto  volumes.  In  1776  he  sailed  once  more  in  the 
Resolution,  but  was  destined  never  to  return,  for  on  St. 
Valentine's  Day,  1779,  he  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
natives  of  Hawaii.  The  expedition  returned  the  next  year, 
and  the  official  account  of  it  was  published  in  1784,  in  three 
quarto  volumes,  of  which  the  first  two  were  from  the  pen  of 
Cook,  the  third  volume  being  written  by  James  King.  The 
following  year  a  second  edition  appeared,  also  in  three  quarto 
volumes.  All  these  works  have  maps,  charts,  and  folding 
plates,  which  are  sometimes  bound  up  separately  into  folio 
volumes.  A  few  of  these  somewhat  crude  plates  were  engraved 
by  Bartolozzi.  Admiral  James  Burney's  '  Chronological 
History  of  Voyages  and  Discoveries  in  the  South  Sea,'  was 
published  in  five  quarto  volumes  between  1803  and  1817. 


*  Similarly,  a  quarto  volume  containing  an  account  of  the  second  voyage, 
'Drawn  up  from  Authentic  Papers,'  appeared  anonymously  in  1776;  an 
octavo  '  Journal '  having  appeared,  also  anonymously,  the  previous  year. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  209 

The  author  was  one  of  Cook's  officers,  and  the  diary  of  the 
last  voyage  which  he  sailed  in  company  with  the  great 
navigator  is  still  (1921)  in  manuscript.  His  account  of  the 
death  of  Captain  Cook,  however,  was  published  in  the 
'  Cornhill  Magazine  '  so  lately  as  November  1914. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  many 
handsome  works  upon  these  subjects  issued  from  the  press. 
For  the  most  part  they  are  sumptuous  books,  many  of  them 
having  coloured  plates  and  sometimes  folding  ones.  They 
were  published  chiefly  for  subscribers  at  prices  ranging  from 
two  guineas  to  fifteen  ;  and  during  the  last  few  years  they 
have  risen  considerably  in  price.  Until  the  decline  of  the 
coloured  engraving  in  the  'fifties  of  last  century  they  were 
legion  in  number,  both  quartos  and  octavos,  and  many  are 
still  to  be  had  for  a  few  shillings.  But  a  study  of  booksellers* 
catalogues  alone  will  give  you  an  idea  of  their  prices  and 
values.  Needless  to  say,  works  upon  voyages,  travels,  and 
explorations  issued  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries  are  becoming  increasingly  scarce  and  valuable. 

Here  a  word  of  warning.  Before  you  purchase  any  of  these 
illustrated  volumes,  make  sure  (by  referring  to  a  bibliography 
or  standard  collation  if  possible)  that  it  is  intact.  Frequently 
a  plate  or  a  map  is  missing,  and  sometimes  an  unscrupulous 
seller  will  go  so  far  as  to  remove  the  *  list  of  plates  *  in  order 
that  the  blemish  may  remain  undetected.  With  such  defects, 
books  of  travel  are  generally  of  little  worth. 

Some  of  the  byways  included  in  these  headings  of  Travel 
and  Foreign  Countries  are  of  considerable  interest  for  the 
bibliographer  no  less  than  for  the  traveller.  Who  has  confined 
his  attentions  to  the  early  Saracenic  literature  of  North 
Africa?  There  is  a  number  of  works  dealing  with  it,  chiefly 
sixteenth-century  Spanish  books,  and  all  are  of  considerable 
value.  Luis  del  Marmol's  *  Descripcion  general  del  Affrica ' 
is  in  three  folio  volumes,  of  which  the  first  two  were  printed 
at  Granada  in  1573,  the  third  volume  being  dated  at  Malaga, 
1599.     But  though  Marmol  affixed  his  own  name  to  it,  the 


210  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

work  is  little  more  than  a  translation  of  the  *  Description  of 
Africa,'  by  Leo  Africanus,  a  fellow-countryman  of  Marmol, 
who  composed  his  work  in  Arabic.  Marmol  was  certainly 
well  qualified  for  his  task,  for  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Moors  in  1546,  and  was  eight  years  in  captivity  in  Africa. 
Curio's  '  Sarracenicae  Historiae  '  was  first  published  in  folio 
at  Basel  in  1567 ;  but  it  was  English'd  by  T.  Newton  in 
1575,  quarto,  black  letter,  London — if  you  are  so  lucky  as  to 
come  across  it  It  is  called  '  A  Notable  Historie  of  the 
Saracens.'  Dan's  *  Histoire  de  la  Barbarie,'  folio,  Paris, 
1649,  appears  in  the  sale-room  from  time  to  time. 

3.  Americana — what  a  vast  subject  in  itself!  Its  very 
definition  signifies  the  inclusion  of  everything  upon  any 
subject  whatsoever  that  has  ever  been  written 
upon  the  Americas!  But  in  the  bibliographer's 
reading  this  term  is  generally  taken  to  imply  those  early  works 
relating  to  the  discovery  and  settlement  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  though  not  necessarily  in  the  English  language. 
For  the  purposes  of  our  list,  however,  we  will  confine  its 
meaning  solely  to  the  United  States ;  classifying  books  upon 
Canada,  Alaska,  and  Mexico  under  the  heading  Travels  and 
Exploration.  Under  the  latter  heading  also,  of  course,  will 
come  the  various  countries  of  Central  and  South  America. 

Many  have  been  the  collections  upon  the  early  history  of 
New  England,  and  you  will  do  well  to  obtain  the  catalogues 
of  the  Huth,  Church,  Auchinleck,  Winsor,  Livingston, 
Grenville,  and  Hoe  collections.  The  famous  collection  of 
Americana  from  the  library  at  Britwell  Court  was  to  have  been 
sold  by  auction  at  Sotheby's  in  August  1916  ;  but  it  was 
purchased  en  bloc  to  go  to  New  York,  where  it  was  dispersed 
by  public  auction  the  following  January.  The  sale  catalogue 
(Sotheby's)  is  an  extremely  good  one,  and  contains  a  large 
number  of  works  previously  undescribed.  The  well-known 
library  of  Americana  amassed  by  Dr.  White  Kennet,  bishop 
of  Peterborough  during  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  entrusted  by  him  in  1712  to  the  keeping  of  the 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  211 

Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  *  for  their  perpetual 
use,'  was  sold  by  order  of  that  Society  at  Sotheby's  in  August 
1917  and  realised  very  high  prices,  though  most  of  the  items 
were  in  poor  condition.  The  gem  of  the  collection,  *  New 
England  Canaan,'  1632,  and  most  of  the  other  important 
volumes  (seventy-nine  in  all)  had  been  presented  previously 
by  the  Society  to  the  British  Museum.  The  highest  price 
realised  was  £650,  which  was  paid  for  '  A  True  Relation  of 
the  late  Battell  fought  in  New  England  between  the  English 
and  the  Salvages,'  1637,  a  small  quarto  of  sixteen  leaves,  said 
to  be  by  the  Rev.  Philip  Vincent.* 

There  are  two  valuable  bibliographies  upon  this  subject, 
both  necessarily  large  and  important  works.  They  are  Sabin's 
'  Dictionary  of  Books  relating  to  America,'  in  nineteen  octavo 
volumes  published  at  New  York  from  1868  to  1891,  which, 
however,  comprises  only  the  headings  from  A  to  Simms :  and 
Evans'  *  American  Bibliography,'  privately  printed  in  eight 
quarto  volumes  at  Chicago,  1903  to  1914.  Harrisse's 
'  Bibliotheca  Americana  Vetustissima  '  (New  York,  1866) 
with  its  supplement  (Paris,  1872)  is  a  bibliography  of  the 
rarest  books  concerning  America  that  appeared  between  1492 
and  1551.  Mr.  W.  H.  Miner's  *  The  American  Indians,  North 
of  Mexico,'  published  by  the  Cambridge  University  Press  in 
1917,  contains  a  bibhography  of  works  on  the  aboriginals. 

4.  Works  upon  Architecture  are,  de  natura,  for  the  greater 

part  '  art  books,'  and  comprise  not  only  such  large  works  as 

Furttenbach's  massive  tomes  and  the  works  of 

.  Hrcbltccture. 

Britton   and   Billmg,   but   the   many  beautifully 

illustrated  books  published  by  Ackermann  at  the  beginning 

of  last  century.     Most  of  them,  English  and  foreign,  are  books 

of  considerable  value,  for  the  plates  were  often  produced  by 

the  great  masters  of  engraving,  and  they  readily  command 

high  prices  whenever  they  appear  in  the  market.     But  there 


*  It  was  a  cropped  copy.  The  one  in  the  Wilton  Park  library,  sold  at 
Sotheby's  in  March,  1920,  lacked  two  blank  leaves  and  was  unbound;  but 
it  was  a  fine  large  copy  and  fetched  £660. 


212  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

is  a  large  and  increasing  number  ot  smaller  works  which  deal 
with  buildings  and  designs,  as  well  as  those  books  concerning 
buildings  of  an  historical  interest.  There  does  not  seem  to  be 
any  monumental  bibliography  of  architectural  books,  but  you 
will  find  useful  lists  in  Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney's  volumes. 

The  older  books  upon  this  subject  are  necessarily  scarce : 
such  as  Alberti's  '  Libri  de  Re  ^dificatoria  Decem,'  which 
appeared  first  at  Florence  in  1485.  This  work,  however,  was 
reprinted  at  Paris  in  1512,  and  you  may  have  a  copy  of  it  for 
a  couple  of  pounds,  though  the  first  French  translation 
'  L' Architecture  et  Art  de  bien  bastir,  trad,  par  deffunct  Jan 
Martin,'  folio,  Paris,  1553,  with  fine  large  woodcuts,  will  cost 
you  four  times  as  much.  It  is  a  fine  book,  and  contains  a 
portrait  of  the  author  as  well  as  a  three-page  epitaph  by 
Ronsard  on  the  deffunct  Jan  Martin. 

6.  The  collection  of  Bibles  is  perhaps  one  of  the  commonest 
subjects  to  engage  the  attention  of  specialists.     There  is  a 

numerous  bibliography,  ranging  from  Anthony 
Johnson's  little  tract  '  An  Historical  Account  of 
the  English  Translations  of  the  Bible,'  printed  in  1730,  down 
to  the  Rev.  J.  L.  Mombert's  '  English  Versions  of  the  Bible,' 
of  which  a  new  edition  appeared  in  1907.  You  will  find  the 
volumes  of  Anderson,  Cotton,  Eadie,  Loftie,  Dore,  Darlow 
and  Moule,  Stoughton,  and  Scrivener  of  assistance  to  you 
here,  as  well  as  Westcott's  *  General  View  of  the  History  of 
the  English  Bible,'  of  which  a  third  and  revised  edition  was 
published  in  1905.  It  contains  a  useful  list  of  English  editions 
of  the  Holy  Writ.  The  Huth  Collection,  that  portion  of  it 
which  was  sold  in  1911-12,  was  especially  rich  in  Bibles,  as 
was  the  Amherst  Library,  dispersed  in  1908-09.  This  last 
contained  editions  from  1455  (the  so-called  *  Mazarin  '  Bible) 
to  King  Charles  the  First's  own  copy  of  the  1638  Cambridge 
edition.  The  sale  catalogues  of  these  will  be  of  value 
to  you. 

7.  Bibliography  is  perhaps  the  subject  nearest  to  the  heart 
of  every  bibliophile.     But  since  the  collection  of  '  books  about 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  213 

books  '  must  of  necessity  be  the  stepping-stone  by  which 
the  book-lover  attains  his  knowledge  of  the  extrinsic  attri- 
butes of  his  hobby,  I  have  dealt  with  this  subject  at  some 
length  in  the  chapter  wherein  are  treated  the  '  books  of  the 
collector.' 

8.  Biography,  Memoirs,  Diaries  :  what  a  flood  of  names  and 
memories  occur  to  one  under  this  heading!  Not  only  the 
immortal  Boswell  and  Pepys,  but  Fanny  Burney, 
Alexandre  Dumas,  Mary  Wortley-Montague, 
Lord  Herbert  of  Cherbury,  e^  permulti  alii.  Also,  this 
heading  will  comprise  that  great  series  of  mysterious  and 
'  racy  '  books  ycleped  '  Court  Memoirs,'  and  the  somewhat 
less  exciting  but — to  our  book-hunter's  mind  at  least — more 
interesting  works  which  border  on  the  domain  of  history, 
such  as  the  Memoirs  of  Blaise  de  Montluc  and  Saint-Simon : 
works  which  bring  home  to  us  the  everyday  life  of  those 
far-off  days  more  clearly  than  anything  that  has  ever  been 
written  about  them  since. 

How  meagre  is  the  stock  of  valuable  historical  memoirs 
with  which  we  may  furnish  our  libraries  to-day !  There  is 
abundance  to  be  had — after  long  searching,  but  the  great 
Memoirs  which  we  may  have  to  hand,  such  as  Froissart  and 
Monstrelet,  Waurin  and  La  Marche,  must  number  scarce  a 
couple  of  dozen.  Perhaps  some  day  a  philanthropic  publisher 
will  give  us  good  editions  (unabridged)  of  Sir  James  Melvil, 
Sir  Philip  Warwick,  Edmund  Ludlow,  Bulstrode  Whitlock, 
Sir  Thomas  Herbert,  Robert  Gary,  Denzil  Lord  Holies,  and 
many  other  valuable  contemporary  evidences  now  scarcely 
to  be  had,  and  when  found  usually  in  ancient  tattered  calf. 
Why  is  it,  too,  that  the  great  mass  of  French  chroniclers  who 
bear  witness  to  English  doings  in  the  wars  of  Normandy, 
Brittany,  Burgundy,  Anjou  and  Touraine  remain  still 
untranslated  and  almost  unprocurable? 

There  are  so  many  delightful  Memoirs  to  which  one  would 
like  to  have  access  at  will.  Jean  de  Boucicault,  Marshal  of 
France,  stands  out  as  one  of  the  most  interesting  figures  in 


214  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

mediaeval  France  and,  indeed,  Europe.  Nicknamed  '  le 
meingre,'  he  was  Vicomte  de  Turenne,  and  bore  arms  at  the 
age  of  ten.  His  father*  also  was  a  Marshal  of  France.  Few 
men  have  lived  such  a  stirring  life  as  this  paragon  of  knightly 
prowess.  At  Rosebeque  in  1382  (where  Philip  van  Artevelde 
and  20,000  Flemings  were  slain),  being  then  a  page  of  honour 
to  Charles  VI.,  he  fought  at  the  King's  side  and  acquitted 
himself  so  well  that  he  received  knighthood  at  the  King's 
hands.  Thenceforward  he  was  fighting  continually  in 
Flanders,  Normandy,  Brittany,  Languedoc — in  short  wherever 
there  was  fighting  to  be  done.  In  1396,  marching  with  the 
flower  of  the  French  chivalry  through  Bulgaria  against  the 
Turks,  he  was  one  of  the  three  thousand  knights  taken 
prisoner  at  the  disastrous  battle  of  Nicopoli ;  but  was  among 
the  twenty-five  whose  lives  were  spared  by  the  savage  victor. 
Four  years  later  he  was  defending  Constantinople  for  the 
Emperor  against  his  late  captor,  and  here  again  he 
distinguished  himself  greatly  by  his  bravery. 

Not  long  after  this  he  was  appointed  Governor  of  Genoa. 
In  command  of  the  Genoese  fleet  he  undertook  to  chastise  the 
Cypriots  for  an  outrage  on  some  Genoese  gentlemen.  But 
calling  at  Rhodes  on  the  way,  the  Grand  Master  of  the 
Hospitallers  persuaded  him  to  try  the  effect  of  mediation  first 
of  all,  and  proceeded  to  Cyprus  himself  for  that  purpose. 
Whereupon  the  Marshal,  *  to  beguile  the  time,  and  give 
employment  to  the  fiery  spirits  on  board  his  squadron ' 
(says  a  later  chronicler)  *  ran  down  at  a  venture  to  the  Syrian 
city  of  Scanderoon,  which  place  he  carried  by  assault  and 
plundered.'  Encouraged  by  this  success,  on  the  Grand 
Master's  return  he  persuaded  that  great  personage  to 
accompany  him  on  a  further  expedition,  and  together  they 
harried  the  whole  coast  of  Syria,  the  Hospitaller  confining 
his  attention  to  the  Infidels  whilst  the  Marshal  razed  the 


•  He  was  a  contemporary  of  Geoffroi  de  La  Tour  Landry,  who  relates  a 
pleasing  story  of  his  amours  in  Chapter  xxiij.  of  the  book  which  he  wrote 
for  the  delectation  of  his  three  daughters. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  215 

factories  which  the  Venetians  (enemies  to  the  Genoese)  had 
estabhshed  at  Baruth  and  other  places.  Thus  passing  a  very 
pleasant  summer. 

In  Italy  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  turmoil  betwixt 
Guelphs  and  Ghibellines,  and  seized  Milan  for  the  former 
(1409).  At  Agincourt  in  1415  he  commanded  the  vanguard 
of  the  French  army,  and  was  taken  prisoner.  Being  sent  to 
England,  he  remained  there  until  his  death  six  years  later. 
This  great  soldier  was  a  man  of  many  accomplishments,  an 
ardent  musician  as  well  as  a  poet ;  and  his  leisure  was  passed 
chiefly  in  composing  ballads,  rondeaux,  and  virelays.  Yet  his 
'  Livre  des  Faicts  '  remains  unenglish'd. 

Another  truly  great  man  of  a  later  period  was  that  great 
warrior  of  saintly  life  and  death,  Henri,  Due  de  Montmorency. 
After  a  long  and  noble  career  of  arms  in  the  service  of  his 
king  no  less  than  of  his  countrymen,  he  fell  a  victim  to  the 
jealousy  of  Cardinal  de  Richelieu.  *  Dieu  vouloit  que  sa 
mort  fust  aussi  admirable  que  sa  vie,'  writes  his  biographer ; 
'  que  ses  dernieres  actions  couronnassent  toutes  les  autres ; 
et  que  ses  vertus  Chrestiennes  jettassent  encor  plus  d' eclat 
que  n'avoient  fait  les  Heroiques.'  Brought  to  the  scaffold 
he  refused  to  avail  himself  of  the  indulgence  of  having  his 
hands  at  liberty.  '  So  great  a  sinner  as  I,*  he  said,  '  cannot 
die  with  too  much  ignominy.'  Of  his  own  accord  he  took 
off  his  splendid  dress.  '  How  can  I,'  said  he,  '  being  so 
great  a  sinner  go  to  my  death  in  such  attire  when  my 
guiltless  Saviour  died  naked  upon  the  Cross.'  Yet  save 
we  are  contented  to  turn  to  a  poorly  printed  seventeenth- 
century  edition  of  his  Life,  there  is  no  place  (to  my  know- 
ledge at  least)  where  we  can  read  of  this  truly  great  man, 
and,  of  course,  no  version  other  than  that  in  the  French 
tongue. 

Then  there  is  that  great  and  vivacious  chronicle  of  the  house 
of  Burgundy  during  the  fifteenth  century,  the  Memoirs  of 
Messire  Olivier,  Sieur  de  la  Marche.  No  historian  would 
write  of  the  Flemish  wars,  from  the  Peace  of  Arras  in  1435 


216  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

to  the  taking  of  Ghent  by  the  Archduke  MaximiHan  in  1491, 
without  constant  reference  to  this  invaluable  work,  for 
la  Marche  was  often  an  eye-witness  of  the  events  which  he 
records.  Yet  so  far  it  has  not  been  rendered  in  English,  and 
I  know  of  no  complete  edition  in  modern  French.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  memorials  of  Bouchet,  Chartier,  de  Coussy, 
Crillon,  Olivier  de  Clisson,  and  many  other  great  soldiers, 
all  of  whom  have  much  to  say  of  the  wars  *  centre  les  Anglois.' 
The  famous  history  of  Bertrand  du  Guesclin*  contained  in 
'  Le  Triomphe  des  Neuf  Preux  '  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
reprinted  after  its  second  appearance  in  Spanish  at  Barcelona 
in  1586,  and  there  is  no  English  version. 

Why  is  it  that  biography  has  such  a  peculiar  fascination 
for  most  men  ?  Is  it  but  curiosity  to  know  how  others  have 
passed  their  lives,  mere  idle  inquisitiveness  ?  Or  is  it  that  we 
may  store  up  in  our  minds  what  these  great  ones  said  and 
did  upon  occasions  that  may  occur  to  us  some  day  ?  This  is, 
perhaps  the  more  hkely ;  for  women  dislike  biographies,  and 
women,  we  are  told,  care  not  a  fig  for  examples,  but  act  upon 
their  native  intuition.  Be  the  reason  what  it  may,  the  fact 
remains  that  for  one  man  who  looks  to  the  future  there  are 
fifty  who  look  to  the  past.  Moreover  the  sages  of  all  times 
encourage  us  to  seek  examples  in  the  lives  of  other  men,  and 
examples  are  certainly  of  more  value  than  idle  speculations. 
'  With  what  discourses  should  we  feed  our  souls  ?  *  asked  one 
of  that  pleasant  philosopher  Maximus  of  Tyre.  '  With  those 
that  lead  the  mind  eV)  t6v  irpoa-dev  x/'oVoi' — towards  former 


*  Du  Guesclin  gave  striking  proofs  of  courage  in  his  childhood,  and  at  16 
won  a  prize  at  a  tournament  (where  he  was  unknown  and  against  his  father's 
will).  He  spent  most  of  his  life  fighting  the  English,  gained  several  victories 
over  them,  and  recovered  Poitou,  Limousin,  and  many  towns  in  Normandy 
and  Brittany.  Charles  V.  created  him  Constable  of  France  in  1370,  and  he 
died  in  1380  in  harness,  at  the  ripe  age  of  66,  while  besieging  a  town  in 
Languedoc.  He  was  buried  in  the  Abbey  of  St.  Denis,  at  the  feet  of  the 
royal  master  whom  he  had  served  so  well.  It  is  said  that  he  could  neither 
read  nor  write  (which  is  probably  incorrect),  but  his  life  and  deeds  were 
recorded  shortly  after  his  death  (as  in  the  case  of  Bayard)  by  a  '  loyal  servi- 
teur ' — folio,  Gothic  letter,  printed  by  Guillaume  Le  Roy  at  Lyons  about  1480. 
Of  this  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  English  version.  (Sec  also  footnote 
on  page  92.) 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  217 

times,'  replied  the  sage — those  that  exhibit  the  deeds  of 
past  ages. 

Possibly  it  would  be  better  to  include  biographical 
dictionaries  under  this  heading  than  under  '  Dictionaries.* 
Oettinger's  '  Bibliographie  Biographique  Universelle,'  pub- 
lished first  in  quarto  at  Leipzig,  1850,  describes  some  26,000 
biographies,  under  their  subjects*  names.  A  second  edition 
appeared  in  two  octavo  volumes  at  Brussels  four  years  later. 
There  is  a  useful  catalogue  of  174  biographical  dictionaries 
in  all  languages  at  the  end  of  the  third  volume  of  John 
Gorton's  '  General  Biographical  Dictionary,'  the  1833  edition. 

9.  Celebrated  Authors  and  Books.  How  interesting  it 
would  be  to  know  which  individual  work,  after  the  Bible, 
has    passed    through    the    greatest    number    of 

.  .  .  ftmoxxt 

editions.     *  The  Pilgrim's  Progress,'  *  Robinson       autbor» 

tni  Xooiif. 

Crusoe,*  '  The  Decameron,*  '  The  Compleat 
Angler,*  *  Paradise  Lost,*  all  these  must  have  been  reprinted 
an  immense  number  of  times  ;  while  others  such  as  *  Gil  Bias  * 
and  '  Don  Quixote  *  would  not  be  so  very  far  behind.  Then 
there  are  the  ancients,  such  as  Homer,  Horace,  Virgil,  with  the 
g^eat  host  of  classics  of  the  old  world.  Perhaps,  however,  the 
palm  would  be  awarded  to  the  '  Imitatio  Christi  *  of  the  saintly 
Thomas  a  Kempis.  The  editions  of  it,  from  the  presses  of 
almost  every  country  in  the  old  and  the  new  worlds,  run  well 
into  four  figures.  An  Enghsh  collector,  Edmund  Waterton, 
succeeded  in  amassing  no  less  than  thirteen  hundred,  and  at 
his  death  the  British  Museum  acquired  all  those  of  his  treasures 
which  were  not  already  upon  its  shelves. 

There  is  another  name  to  couple  with  this,  though  (I  hasten 
to  add)  from  a  purely  bibliographical  standpoint — that  of  the 
great  Dominican  Giacomo  di  Voraggio,  or  Jacobus  de 
Voragine.  Except  to  the  student  of  Early  Fathers,  the 
hagiologist,  and  the  bibliophile,  his  very  name  has  almost 
sunk  into  oblivion  ;  but  to  these  savants  he  stands  forth  as 
the  compiler  of  that  marvellous  collection  of  the  Lives  of  the 
Saints,   known  as   The  Golden   Legend.        The   first    Latin 


218  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

edition  of  his  great  work  was  printed  in  folio  at  Cologne  in 
1470,  and  six  years  later  it  appeared  in  French  at  Lyons  and 
in  Italian  at  Venice.  Caxton  translated  and  published  an 
English  version,  and  from  that  time  to  the  middle  of  the 
sixteenth  century  it  is  said  to  have  undergone  more 
impressions  than  any  other  contemporary  work.* 

It  is  not  only  editions  of  individual  works,  however,  that 
this  heading  comprises.  Upon  reading  a  book  which  pleases 
us  greatly  it  is  but  natural  to  seek  other  works  by  the  same 
author ;  and  with  the  book-collector  this  tendency  often 
becomes  the  basis  of  a  definite  plan  of  campaign.  Who  has 
yet  formed  a  complete  collection  of  the  works  and  editions 
of  Defoe,  of  Alexandre  Dumas,  or  even  of  that  indefatigable 
Jesuit  antiquary  Claude  Franqois  Menestrier?  There  are 
bibliographies  of  all  three,  but  I  do  not  know  of  any  library 
that  possesses  a  complete  collection  of  either.  Every  year 
sees  the  addition  of  bibliographies  upon  this  subject,  and  we 
have  now  excellent  accounts  of  the  publications  of  Bunyan, 
Cervantes,  Defoe,  Milton,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  Isaac  Walton,  and  many  other  famous  men. 

Under  this  heading  also  is  included  the  collection  of  books 
dealing  with  a  particular  author  or  book,  such,  for  example, 
as  the  many  published  works  upon  the  authorship  of  the 
'  Imitatio  Christi,'  the  '  Eikon  Basilike,'  or  the  Letters  of 
Junius,  and — commonest  sub-heading  of  all — *  Shakespeare- 
ana.'  The  British  Museum  authorities  have  issued  a  biblio- 
graphy (large  quarto,  1897),  of  books  in  that  library  relating 
to  Shakespeare,  which  you  may  have  for  a  few  shillings.  If 
this  be  your  hobby,  however,  perhaps  the  first  book  which 
you  will  acquire,  at  the  very  outset  of  your  career,  will  be 
Sir  Sidney  Lee's  monumental  '  Life  of  William  Shakespeare,' 


*  Melchior  Cano,  a  later  Provincial  of  his  Order,  is  reported  to  have  said 
concerning  this  book,  '  The  author  of  this  Legend  had  surely  a  mouth  of  iron, 
a  heart  of  lead,  and  but  little  wisdom  or  soundness  of  judgment ' ;  for  it 
abounds  with  the  most  puerile  and  ridiculous  fables  and  absurdities.  But 
of  course  '  Voragine '  wrote  in  accordance  with  the  fashion  and  beliefs  of  his 
time. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  219 

which  has  become  a  classic  in  itself.  Of  this,  the  first  edition 
appeared  in  1898,  but  a  new  edition  (the  seventh)  rewritten 
and  greatly  enlarged,  was  published  in  1915.  It  is,  at  the 
time  of  writing,  the  fullest  and  best,  so  is  much  to  be  preferred. 
It  contains  a  full  account  of  the  earliest  and  subsequent 
editions  and  editors  of  the  immortal  writer.  Mr.  A.  W. 
Pollard  published  in  1909  a  bibliographical  account  of 
'  Shakespeare  Folios  and  Quartos,'  and  you  will  find  a  lengthy 
hst  of  books  upon  this  subject  in  Appendix  I  of  Sir  Sidney 
Lee's  work  (1915).  Mr.  William  Jaggard's  *  Shakespeare 
Bibhography  '  purports  to  be  'a  dictionary  of  every  known 
issue  of  the  writings  of  our  national  poet  and  of  recorded 
opinion  thereon  in  the  English  language.'  It  was  published 
at  Stratford-on-Avon  in  1911,  a  thick  octavo  volume  of  more 
than  700  pages.  The  fifth  volume  of  the  *  Cambridge  History 
of  English  Literature  *  contains  some  47  pages  of  Shakes- 
peareana  in  the  bibliographies  to  Chapters  VIII.  to  XII. 

10.  Celebrated  Presses.  Of  all  the  famous  printers  this 
world  has  seen,  there  are  two  in  particular  whose  productions 
have  engaged  the  attentions  of  collectors  con-  yam«us 
tinually,  namely,  the  Manuccios  ('  Aldines ')  and  C«8S£». 
the  Elzeviers.  The  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to  seek.  Unlike 
the  productions  of  Caxton  or  de  Worde  (whose  works,  mostly 
in  the  vernacular,  have  usually  engaged  the  attentions  of 
English  collectors  only),  the  volumes  issued  by  these  two 
great  foreign  houses  stand  out  for  their  conspicuous  merit 
both  as  specimens  of  book-production  and  as  examples  of 
scholarly  editing.  Should  you  decide,  however,  to  confine 
your  attention  to  some  other  of  the  great  printers,  then  a 
delightful  hobby  will  be  yours;  for  the  field  is  narrow,' and 
your  collecting  must  take  the  form  of  a  personal  inspection 
of  each  volume  purchased.  It  will  be  book-hunting  with  a 
vengeance  ;  the  booksellers'  catalogues  (which  rarely  give  the 
printers)  will  be  of  little  use  to  you  except  as  regards  certain 
specimens  with  which  you  are  acquainted,  and  each  volume 
that  you  acquire  will  have  been  unearthed  by  your  own  hands. 


220  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

It  is  a  subject  which  has  been  chosen  so  frequently  by 
speciaHsts  that  there  are  bibhographies  of  almost  all  the 
well-known  printers,  most  of  them,  it  were  needless  to  add, 
in  French.  For  a  list  of  them,  you  must  consult  the  work 
of  Bigmore  and  Wyman,  as  well  as  that  of  Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney. 
There  is  a  chance  here,  also,  for  the  public  librarian.  How 
many  of  the  public  libraries  in  this  country  possess  a  collection 
of  books  illustrating  the  history  and  progress  of  printing  in 
their  particular  towns?  Most  provincial  public  libraries  now 
possess  collections  of  books  relating  to  the  history  and 
topography  of  their  localities ;  and  it  should  not  be  difficult 
to  form  similar  collections  of  locally-printed  books.  It  would 
be  an  interesting  hobby  for  the  private  collector  too,  and  such 
a  collection  would  be  of  the  greatest  interest  and  value  from 
the  bibliographical  standpoint.  Similarly  it  would  not  be 
difficult  to  form  a  small  collection  of  books  printed  by,  say, 
the  French  or  German  or  Italian  printers  before  1500,  or  the 
Paris  or  Venetian  printers  up  to  1600.  There  is  a  considerable 
field  for  the  collector  here. 

11.  Chapbooks,  Broadsides,  and  Ballads :  a  curious  byway 
of  book-collecting  this,  for  the  knowledge  to  be  gleaned  from 

fiaiU6«  an»     these  curiosa  is   not   probably   of  great   value. 

*"^<*"^»'''<»-  Nor  can  a  great  deal  be  said  in  favour  of  their 
utility.  Perhaps,  however,  the  first  two  would  be  classed  more 
properly  with  No.  22 — Facetiae  and  Curiosa,  leaving  Ballads 
only  under  this  heading.    The  Earl  of  Crawford  and  Balcarres' 

*  Bibliotheca  Lindesiana :  a  Catalogue  of  a  Collection  of 
English  Ballads  of  the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  Centuries, 
printed  for  the  most  part  in  Black  Letter '  was  printed 
privately  in  small  quarto  in  1890.  It  is  undoubtedly  the 
finest  collection  of  this  kind  in  the  world.  Ritson's  '  Ancient 
Songs  and  Ballads  '  was  revised  by  Hazlitt  in  1877.  Then 
there  are  such  volumes  as  Payne  Collier's  '  Illustrations  of 
English  Popular  Literature,'   published  in  1863-66,  Huth's 

*  Ancient  Ballads  and  Broadsides  published  in  England  in 
the   Sixteenth   Century '   (1867),  and   others  which  will  be 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  221 

mentioned  when  discussing  Facetiae  (22)  and  Pamphlets  and 
Tracts  (45).  Lemon's  *  Catalogue  of  a  Collection  of  Printed 
Broadsides  in  the  Possession  of  the  Society  of  Antiquaries 
of  London  '  (1866)  and  Lilly's  '  Black  Letter  Ballads  and 
Broadsides,'  (1867)  will  also  be  of  use  to  you  here,  as  will  the 
publications  of  the  Percy,  Ballad,  and  Philobiblon  Societies. 
In  1856  J.  Russell  Smith,  the  antiquarian  publisher  of  Soho 
Square,  issued  a  *  Catalogue  of  a  Unique  Collection  of  Four 
Hundred  Ancient  English  Broadside  Ballads,  Printed  Entirely 
in  the  Black  Letter  *  which  he  had  for  sale — a  small  octavo 
volume  with  notes  and  facsimiles.  It  is  a  valuable  little  book 
and  somewhat  hard  to  obtain.  For  other  reference-books 
upon  this  subject,  you  must  turn  to  the  headings  '  Ballads  ' 
and  *  Broadsides  '  in  Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney's  valuable  '  Register 
of  National  Bibliography.' 

This  heading  also  includes  the  collection  of  proclamations 
and  single  sheet  posters  of  all  kinds.  There  is  a  fine  collection 
of  Royal  Proclamations  in  the  Library  of  the  Society  of 
Antiquaries,  probably  the  most  perfect  in  existence.  *  Bookes  * 
of  Proclamations  were  issued  by  R.  Grafton  in  1550  (Svo), 
R.  Barker  in  1609  (folio),  Norton  and  Bill  in  1618  (folio)— all 
in  black  letter — and  by  several  other  the  king's  printers  during 
the  seventeenth  century.  For  the  purposes  of  the  historian 
they  are  simply  invaluable.  The  (26th)  Earl  of  Crawford  and 
Balcarres  has  printed  a  bibliography  of  proclamations,  vpls. 
V.  and  vi.  of  his  '  Bibliotheca  Lindesiana.* 

12.  Civil  War  and  Commonwealth  is  properly  speaking  a 
sub-heading  of  No.  30 — History ;  but  it  is  a  favourite  subject 
with   book-collectors,    and    the    volumes    issued     ^  „^ 

'  Civil  HQIar 

during  this  period  are  sui  generis  and  mostly  of  ""^  cpmmon- 
considerable  interest.  With  the  abolition  of  the 
Star  Chamber  in  1641  the  drastic  repression  of  the  printers 
disappeared,  and,  freed  from  all  control,  the  presses  now 
poured  forth  political  tracts  and  volumes  of  every  description. 
Needless  to  say  a  great  number  of  the  books  thus  issued  were 
anonymous  publications.     But  two  years  later  an  Order  for 


222  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  Regulating  of  Printing  came  into  force,  and  Cromwell's 
censorship  was  reinforced  by  a  further  Act  in  1649.  Never- 
theless a  large  mass  of  political  matter  continued,  throughout 
the  interregnum,  to  make  its  appearance  on  the  stalls  and  in 
the  shops.  What  would  not  Cromwell  have  given  to  suppress 
'  KilHng  no  Murder  ' !  Edwards'  '  Catalogue  of  the  Great 
Rebellion  Tracts  in  the  British  Museum  '  was  included  in  his 
'  Memoirs  of  Libraries,'  which  appeared  in  1859.  George 
Thomason's  famous  collection  of  Royalist  tracts  will  be  dealt 
with  under  the  heading  '  Pamphlets.' 

13.  Of  all  the  subjects  in  our  list  perhaps  none  comprises 

volumes  of  greater  beauty  and  printed  with  greater  distinction 

than  this — the  Classics  of  the  Old  World.     It  is 
Claeeice. 

a  rare  field  for  the  scholar  to-day,  for  the  time 

when  no  library  could  be  considered  complete  without  editions 

of  most  of  the  old  masters  of  Greece  and  Italy  is  long  past ; 

and  there  is  nothing  like  the  competition  nowadays  to  secure 

the  well-known  editions  which  formerly  adorned  the  shelves 

of  our  grandfathers.     Not  long  ago  our  book-hunter  witnessed 

the  sale  of  a  sixteenth-century  folio  Isocrates,  bound  in  ancient 

green  morocco,  for  seven  and  sixpence  ;  and  similar  volumes 

are     described    continually     in     the     modern     booksellers' 

catalogues.     There  is  more  scope  here  for  the  collection  of 

masterpieces  of  typography  than  in  any  other  heading  in  our 

list.       Aldines,   Estiennes,   Elzeviers,  Plantins,   Baskervilles, 

Barbous — all  are  within  the  reach  of  the  most  modest  purse. 

You  need  not  trouble  to  study  Dibdin's  '  Introduction  to  the 

Knowledge  of  Rare  and  Valuable  Editions  of  the  Greek  and 

Latin  Classics  ' :  if  you  are  sufficiently  fond  of  immortal  books 

and  beautiful  printing  to  make  this  subject  your  hobby,  your 

own  eyes  and  hands  will  guide  you  in  the  choice  of  editions — 

from  the  bibliographical  standpoint. 

14.  The  Collection  of  Cookery  Books  offers  a  wider  field 
for  the  book-collector's  activities  than  would  appear  at  first 
sight.  Besides  the  considerable  number  of  works  of  a  purely 
culinary  nature,  there  are  many  sources  whence  we  can  learn 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  223 

much  concerning  the  dietary  and  table  customs  of  our 
ancestors.  Caxton's  (or  rather  de  Worde's)  '  Book  of 
Curtesye  '  is  a  primer  of  good  manners  for  a  small  cooherv 
boy  at  table  and  elsewhere,  and  it  may  well  find  «ooN8. 
a  place,  in  modern  shape,  on  the  shelf  beside  other  volumes 
on  household  economy.  '  Don't  dip  your  meat  in  the  salt- 
cellar,' the  wise  man  tells  Master  Jackie,  '  lest  folk  apoynte 
you  of  unconnyngnesse.'  He  must  be  careful,  also,  not  to 
expectorate  across  the  table, 

'  ne  at  the  borde  ye  shall  no  naylis  pare 
ne  pyke  your  teth  with  knyf.' 

Injunctions  that  are,  perhaps,  unnecessary  nowadays  ;  but  all 
must  agree  with  the  great  printer  that 

'  it  is  a  tedyous  thyngc 
For  to  here  a  chylde  multeplye  talkyng.' 

Are  books  on  table-manners  published  nowadays?  The 
latest  I  remember  to  have  seen  is  Trusler's  '  The  Honours  of 
the  Table,  or  Rules  for  Behaviour  during  Meals,  with  the 
Whole  Art  of  Carving,'  which  appeared  in  1788.  It  has 
woodcuts  by  Bewick,  and  is  a  curious  and  scarce  little  volume. 

Even  such  unlikely  volumes  as  Dugdale's  '  Origines 
Juridiciales  '  (folio,  London  1680),  the  Egerton  and  Rutland 
Papers,  and  other  volumes  of  household  accounts  issued  by  the 
learned  societies  contain  menus  and  long  lists  of  foodstuffs 
and  drinks  consumed  at  various  feasts.  W.  C.  Hazlitt's 
account  of  some  '  Old  Cookery  Books  and  Ancient  Cuisine  * 
appeared  in  12mo  in  1886.  It  has  a  list  of  some  of  the  older 
works.  There  is  also  a  bibliography  of  books  upon  this 
subject  in  Dr.  A.  W.  Oxford's  '  Notes  from  a  Collector's 
Catalogue  '  which  appeared  in  1909.  His  '  English  Cookery 
Books  to  the  Year  1850  '  was  pubUshed  in  1913.  You  will 
find  a  useful  paper  upon  old  English  cookery  in  the  '  Quarterly 
Review  '  for  January  1894.  M.  Georges  Vicaire's  '  Biblio- 
graphic Gastronomique,'  a  handsome  octavo  volume  with 
facsimiles,  appeared  at  Paris  in  1890. 

Then    there    are    such    books    on    dieting   as    Cornaro's 


224  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

*  Discorsi  della  Vita  Sobria  *  and  Lessius  on  the  Right  Course 
of  Preserving  Health,  both  english'd  in  1634  and  printed  at 
Cambridge  in  a  tiny  volume  entitled  '  Hygiasticon  '  ;  also 
Tryon's  '  Way  to  Health,'  Sir  Thomas  Elyot's  *  Castel  of 
Helth,'  and  other  works  of  this  nature.  '  The  Forme  of  Cury,' 
compiled  about  1390  by  the  master  cook  of  Richard  II.,  was 
published  by  Samuel  Pegge  in  1780 ;  and  the  *  Libre  Cure 
Cocorum,'  about  1440,  was  issued  by  the  Philological  Society 
in  1862.  The  '  Boke  of  Cookery  '  printed  by  Pynson  in  1500, 
and  Buttes'  '  Dyets  Dry  Dinner,'  1599,  you  will  probably  have 
to  go  without  unless  your  purse  be  a  deep  one  ;  indeed  so  far 
as  I  am  aware  no  duplicate  is  known  of  the  first-mentioned ! 

15.  Books  on  Costume,  hke  works  on  Architecture  and  the 
Fine  Arts,  are  de  natura  'art  books.'  During  the  first  few 
decades  of  the  nineteenth  century  there  were 
published  a  number  of  folio  volumes  containing 
iine  coloured  plates,  depicting  the  costumes  of  various  foreign 
countries.  Numerous  books  of  travels  issued  during  the  same 
period  also  were  embellished  with  similar  plates ;  whilst  of 
late  years  monographs  have  appeared  on  the  history  of  various 
articles  of  attire,  such  as  shoes,  gloves,  hats,  etc.  It  is  not  a 
large  field  for  the  specialist,  and  at  present  I  am  unaware 
of  any  modern  bibliography  upon  this  subject.  There  are 
lists  of  costume  books  in  Fairholt's  '  Costume  in  England  ' 
<1896  edition),  '  The  Heritage  of  Dress  '  by  Mr.  W.  M.  Webb 
(1907),  and  a  paper  on  them  by  Mr.  F.  W.  B.  Haworth  in  the 
Quarterly  Record  of  the  Manchester  Public  Library  for  1903 
{vol.  vii.  pp.  69-72). 

Some  of  the  older  works  on  costume  are  extremely 
interesting  for  their  curious  engravings.  For  the  most  part 
they  are  valuable  works.  '  Le  Recueil  de  la  diversite  des 
Habits,  qui  sont  de  present  en  usage,  tant  es  pays  d' Europe, 
Asie,  Afrique  et  Isles  Sauvages,  le  tout  fait  apres  le  naturel  * 
was  put  forth  by  Richard  Breton,  a  Paris  printer,  in  1564, 
octavo.  It  contains  121  full-page  wood-engravings  of 
•costume ;    it   is   a  little   difficult,   however,   to   see  why  the 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  225 

'  sauvages  '  should  be  included  in  a  book  of  costume.  But 
perhaps  they  are  covered  by  the  phrase  '  apres  le  naturel.' 
Beneath  each  engraving  is  a  rhyming  and  punning  quatrain. 
Here  is  the  one  beneath  the  portrait  of  a  young  lady  of  demure 
appearance,  entitled  '  L'Espousee  de  France  ' : 

'  L'espousee  est  coiffee,  aussi  vcstue 
Comme  vovez,  quant  elle  prent  mary, 
A  demonstrer  sa  beaute  s'esucrtue, 
En  ce  iour  la,  n'ayant  Ic  cueur  marry.' 

There  are  other  interesting  sixteenth-century  works  by 
Abraham  de  Bruyn,  Nicolas  de  Nicolay,  Cesare  Vecellio, 
Pietro  Bertelli,  Ferdinand  Bertelli,  and  others,  all  with  copper 
and  wood  engravings. 

16.  Books  dealing  with  Crimes  and  Prisons  are  classed 
generally  under  the  heading  Curiosa  (22) ;  but  accounts  of 
murders,  rogueries,  piracies,  etc.,  are  so  common 

-  Crime. 

and  so  frequently  engage  the  attentions  of 
specialists  that  I  have  thought  fit  to  place  this  subject 
in  a  class  by  itself.  Needless  to  say  the  majority  of 
works  on  this  subject  are  in  the  shape  of  pamphlets  or  tracts,, 
though  some  (such  as  the  *  Trial  of  Queen  Caroline  ')  run  to- 
more  than  one  thick  volume.  You  must  not  expect  to  come 
across  many  of  Samuel  Rowlands'  tracts  on  roguery  (1600- 
1620),  for  they  are  worth  literally  their  weight  in  gold,  and 
more.  Many  of  them,  however,  have  been  reprinted  by  the 
Hunterian  Club  (1872-86).  Nor  will  you  find  readily  '  The 
Blacke  Dogge  of  Newgate  '  by  Luke  Hutton,  which  appeared 
first  about  1600,  though  '  The  Life  and  Death  of  Gamaliel 
Ratsey,  a  Famous  Thief  of  England,'  was  reprinted  by  Payne 
Collier.  Mr.  F.  W.  Chandler's  two  volumes  on  '  The 
Literature  of  Roguery,'  published  in  1907,  will  be  of  great 
assistance  to  you  here ;  whilst  Payne  Collier's  '  Illustrations 
of  Early  English  Popular  Literature  '  contains  several  murder 
pamphlets.  The  Newgate  Calendar  is  well  known  and  may 
be  had,  in  varying  states  of  completeness,  of  the  booksellers 
from  time  to  time,  together  with  the  many  accounts  of  famous 
murders  and  trials. 


226  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

17.  Dictionaries    and     Etymologies    are    subjects    which 
generally    engross    the    attentions   of    '  curious    antiquaries.' 

Some    of   the    older    dictionaries    are    of   great 

Dictionaries. 

mterest.  A  few  years  ago  our  book-hunter 
purchased  in  London  for  half  a  crown  a  copy  of  Cooper's 
'  Thesaurus  Linguae  Romanae  et  Britanniae,'  a  thick  folio 
printed  at  London  by  Henry  Bynneman  in  1584.  It  is  bound 
in  the  original  sheepskin,  a  portion  of  a  vellum  psalter  having 
been  used  to  strengthen  the  joints.  The  worthy  bishop's  text 
is  delightful  (Cooper  died  bishop  of  Winchester  in  1594),  the 
interpretations  being  in  black  letter,  and  it  is  full  of  quaint 
conceits.  At  the  end  is  a  biographical  dictionary  which 
certainly  contains  some  startling  statements.  Baret's 
'  Alvearie  or  Triple  Dictionarie,'  1573,  and  Rider's 
'  Bibliotheca  Scholastica,'  1589,  you  may  still  come  across, 
but  do  not  set  your  heart  upon  acquiring  a  copy  of  Huloet's 
*  Abcedarium  Anglico-Latinum  '  put  forth  at  London  in  1552. 
Perhaps  the  finest  collection  of  dictionaries  amassed  by  any 
one  collector  in  this  country  was  that  of  the  reverend  Dr. 
Skeat  of  Cambridge;  but  alas!  at  his  death  it  was  partly 
dispersed. 

18.  Shakespeareana   has   already   been   dealt   with   under 

heading  No.   9,   and  the   bibliography  of  the   Drama   is  a 

voluminous  one.       You  will  find  the  following 
Srama.  i  r        i 

works  of  value  to  you  at  the  outset,  if  this  be 
the  subject  of  your  choice.  Hazlitt's  *  Manual  for  the 
Collector  and  Amateur  of  Old  English  Plays  *  was  issued  in 
1892,  whilst  Mr.  F.  E.  Schelling's  '  Elizabethan  Drama,  1558- 
1642,'  appeared  in  two  volimies,  New  York,  in  1908.  The 
second  volume  contains  a  useful  bibliography.  Mr.  W.  W. 
Greg's  '  List  of  English  Plays  written  before  1643  and  printed 
before  1770  '  was  published  by  the  Bibliographical  Society 
in  1900.  There  is  a  supplementary  volume  which  deals  with 
Masques,  Pageants,  and  some  additional  plays ;  it  appeared 
in  1902.  The  bibliography  to  Chapter  IV.  in  the  tenth 
volume  of  the  '  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature  * 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  227 

contains  useful  lists  of  works  on  the  drama.  The  office-book 
of  Sir  Henry  Herbert,  Master  of  the  Revels,  1G23  to  1673, 
was  edited  by  Professor  Quincy  Adams  and  published  by 
the  Yale  University  Press  ('  Cornell  Studies  in  English,* 
vol.  iii.)  in  1917.  It  is  the  chief  source  of  information  about 
English  plays  and  playwrights  from  1623  until  the  Civil  War, 
and  the  documents  of  the  period  1660-73  are  important  to 
students  of  the  Restoration  Drama. 

19.  By  the  term  '  early-printed  books '  the  bookseller 
generally  means  fifteenth-century  works,  or  incunabula  as 
they  are  now  called.  You  must  needs  be  a  rich  _.„,,„  ^  .  ^^^ 
man  if  this  be  your  hobby,  for  every  volume  issued  fiooijs. 
prior  to  the  year  1500 — however  worthless  as  literature  or 
useless  from  a  bibliographical  standpoint — is  now  worth  at 
least  a  couple  of  pounds,  provided  it  is  complete  and  in  good 
condition.  You  vtay  pick  up  an  example  or  two  of  early 
printing  for  a  few  shillings  on  your  rambles,  but  every  day 
the  chance  of  a  bargain  in  this  direction  is  smaller.  There 
is  not  a  bookseller  throughout  the  kingdom  who  is  not  aware 
of  the  minimum  value  of  any  volume  printed  in  the  fifteenth 
century,  and  a  private  purchase  and  treasure  trove  are  the 
only  sources  available  to  the  '  incunabulist '  to-day.  As 
regards  works  of  reference  on  this  subject,  such  books  have 
already  been  dealt  with  in  the  chapter  on  the  Books  of  the 
Collector. 

20.  Early  Romances,  too,  will  tax  your  exchequer  somewhat 
heavily,  for  these  glorious  folio  and  quarto  examples  of  early 
woodcut  engraving  are  eagerly  snapped  up  j^vcu 
whenever  they  appear  in  the  market.  One  of  the  ■«o"'a"ceB. 
finest  collections  of  these  fascinating  volumes  in  recent  times 
was  that  amassed  by  Baron  Achille  Seilliere.  A  portion  of  it 
was  sold  at  Sotheby's  in  February  1887.  Most  of  these 
treasures  were  exquisitely  bound  by  the  great  French  masters 
of  book-binding,  and  the  sale  of  1147  lots  realised  £14,944, 
an  average  of  about  £13  a  volume.  Yet  it  is  safe  to  assert 
that  the  same  collection  to-day  would  fetch  more  than  double 


228  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

that  amount.*  The  first  folio  edition  {Lyon,  1477)  of  Honore 
Bonnor's  '  L'Arbre  des  Batailles  '  reahsed  only  £30.  At  the 
Fairfax  Murray  sale  in  1918  the  quarto  Lyons  edition  (1510) 
made  £130.  The  Lisbon  edition  of  *  Le  Triomphe  des  Neuf 
Preux  '  (1530)  brought  £83.  The  same  copy  at  the  Fairfax 
Murray  sale  realised  £135.  A  second  portion  of  this  fine 
collection  afterwards  came  under  the  hammer  in  Paris,  and 
realised  similar  prices. 

There  is  a  numerous  bibliography.  Mr.  A.  Esdaile's  *  List 
of  English  Tales  and  Prose  Romances  '  was  published  by  the 
Bibliographical  Society  in  1912,  as  was  Mr.  F.  W.  Bourdillon's 
'  Early  Editions  of  the  Roman  de  la  Rose.*  The  second 
edition  of  W.  J.  Thorn's  '  Early  English  Prose  Romances  * 
appeared  in  three  small  octavo  volumes  in  1858,  whilst 
Quaritch's  '  Catalogue  of  Mediaeval  Literature,  especially  the 
Romances  of  Chivalry  '  was  issued — large  octavo — in  1890. 
Mr.  H.  L.  D.  Ward's  *  Catalogue  of  Mediaeval  Romances  in 
the  British  Museum,'  in  three  volumes,  was  completed  in  1910. 
For  foreign  Romances  Lenglet  du  Fresnoy's  '  Bibliotheque 
des  Romans,'  is  useful.  The  Comte  de  Tressan's  '  Corps 
d'Extraits  des  Romans  de  Chevalerie,'  published  in  twelve 
volumes  in  1787,  has  exquisite  plates  by  Marillier.  It  is  an 
interesting  compendium  of  all  the  most  famous  romances  of 
chivalry.  The  Early  English  Text  Society  has  published  a 
large  number  of  old  English  romances  both  in  verse  and  prose, 

22.  Facetiae,  Curiosa — a  somewhat  broad  subject  which 
would  include  Chapbooks,  Broadsides,  Jest  Books,  as  well  as 
those  works  which  treat  of  *  Gallantry '  and  subjects 
generally  not  alluded  to  in  polite  society !  The  literature  upon 


•The  portion  of  the  Sudbury  Hall  Library  sold  at  Sotheby's  in  June  1918 
realised  £20,201,  los.  There  were  526  lots,  an  average  of  more  than  £38  a 
volume.  The  prices  realised  at  the  sale  of  that  part  of  the  Britwell  Court 
Library  dispersed  at  Sotheby's  in  December  1919,  however,  far  exceeded  any 
hitherto  obtained.  108  lots  brought  £110,356— an  average  of  nearly  £1,022 
a  volume.  But  in  this  case  every  book  was  rarissimus.  A  small  volume 
containing  the  only  known  copy  of  the  fourth  edition  of  Shakespeare's  '  Venus 
and  Adonis'  (1599),  the  first  edition  of  'The  Passionate  Pilgrim'  (1599 — one 
other  copy  known),  and  '  Epigrammes  and  Elegies '  by  Davies  and  Marlow 
(circa  1598),  realised  £15,100 — and  departed  forthwith  to  the  United  States. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  229 

all  these  topics  is  so  large  that  it  is  impossible  to  attempt  a 
resume  of  it  here,  but  you  will  find  a  very  useful  bibliography 
in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  '  Cambridge  History  *,cetja 
of  English  Literature,'  pages  514  to  536.  curioaa. 
Carew  Hazlitt's  '  Fugitive  Tracts  '  (1875)  and  '  Studies  in 
Jocular  Literature  '  (1890)  are  both  useful ;  and  Mr.  G.  F. 
Black  has  recently  (1909)  printed  a  bibliography  of  Gipsies. 
Witchcraft,  sometimes  classed  under  this  heading,  shall  be 
dealt  with  when  we  consider  the  Occult. 

23.  Works  upon  the  Fine  Arts  are,  like  books  on 
Architecture,  chiefly  illustrated.  Doubtless  such  books  are 
collected  generally  by  students  and  craftsmen, 
but  under  this  heading  must  be  included  books 
on  gems,  ancient  statuary,  and  ceramics,  cameos,  rings,  and 
the  like.  There  is  a  large  number  of  works  which  treat  of 
these  from  the  sixteenth  century  onwards,  and  many  are  to 
be  had  for  a  few  shillings. 


CHAPTER    IX 


A  PLEA  FOR  SPECIALISM— (Continued) 


'  Like  ships  before  whose  keels,  full  long  embayed 
In  polar  ice,  propitious  winds  have  made 
Unlooked-for  outlet  to  an  open  sea.' 

Wordsworth. 

O  most  of  us  it  matters  but  little  what  becomes 
of  our  books  when  we  are  dead.  We  garner 
them  for  our  own  use  and  benefit  absolutely, 
and  when  we  are  gone  they  may  well  be 
distributed  among  other  book-lovers  for 
aught  we  care.  No  doubt  a  considerable 
zest  is  added  to  collecting  in  the  case  of  those  lucky  ones 
who,  being  established  in  the  land,  purpose  to  '  lay  down  ' 
a  library  for  their  posterity.  In  such  cases  almost 
invariably  there  must  be  a  thought  of  future 
value.  It  is  but  natural.  Whether  he  lay  down  wine  or 
books  no  man  is  so  foolish  as  to  lay  down  trash.  Such 
schemes,  however,  do  not  always  result  in  that  success  which 
their  owner  intended.  Like  wine,  the  value  of  books  may 
*  go  off.' 

There  are  two  classes  of  books,  however,  that  he  who  is 
wealthy  enough  to  lay  down  a   library  may   acquire  with 


#ir«t  3etiitiond. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  231 

perfect  assurance.  They  are,  in  fact,  gilt-edged  securities. 
One  is  the  original  editions  of  famous  Elizabethan  and  early 
Stuart  authors,  the  other,  the  more  estimable  incunabula. 
Just  as  the  population  of  the  world  increases  yearly,  so  every 
year  there  are  more  and  more  book-collectors,  and,  conse- 
quently, more  competition  to  acquire  rarities.  Every  day,  too, 
the  chances  of  further  copies  coming  to  light  are  more  remote. 
Books  are  not  everlasting,  and  there  will  come  a  time  when 
the  only  fifteenth-century  volumes  in  existence  will  be  those 
treasured  in  velvet-lined  boxes  and  glass  cases. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  in  fifty  years'  time  a  collection 
of  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  or  Massinger's  plays  in  the 
original  quartos  will  be  worth  not  merely  double  its  present 
value,  but  quadruple  and  more.  Then  there  are  the  famous 
prose  authors  of  the  early  Stuart  period,  such  as  Bacon, 
Barclay,  Robert  Burton,  Daniel,  Donne,  Drayton,  Shelton, 
and  even  the  prolific  Gervase  Markham,  to  mention  only  a 
few.  All  these  are  good  investments,  as  regards  their  first 
editions,  for  your  children' s  children. 

As  regards  the  first  editions  of  more  modern  authors  we 
are  on  much  more  delicate  ground.  First  editions  of  really 
great  men,  such  as  Milton,  Pope,  or  Dryden,  probably  will 
always  command  a  high  price  not  only  on  account  of  their 
scarcity  but  because  they  are  sought  for  by  all  students  who 
make  a  study  of  those  authors.  But  when  we  come  to  those 
more  modern  writers  concerning  whose  merits  tastes  differ, 
then  the  collector's  activity  becomes  a  gamble.  The  first 
editions  of  Thomas  Hardy  or  Rudyard  Kipling  may  be  worth 
more  than  their  weight  in  gold  in  a  hundred  years,  but  it  is 
also  quite  possible  that  succeeding  generations  will  find  in 
them  more  of  the  sentiments  of  the  day  than  of  those  innate 
characteristics  of  the  human  mind  which  make  a  book  really 
great,  and  will  pass  them  by.  This  matter,  however,  has  been 
dealt  with  in  the  chapter  on  the  Books  of  the  Collector,  and 
with  regard  to  bibliographies  of  the  writings  of  the  chief 
nineteenth-century  authors,  you  will  find  mention  of  these  in 


232  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

the  appendices  to  the  later  volumes  of  the  '  Cambridge 
History  of  English  Literature.' 

25.  Folk-lore,  Fables,  Fairy-Tales,  Accounts  of  Mysteries 
and  Miracle-Plays,  Mummers,  Minstrels  and  Troubadours, 
Pageants,  Masques  and  Moralities :  an  interesting  medley. 
Books  of  fables,  whether  by  ^Esop,  Bidpai,  La  Fontaine,  Gay, 

iij.iore  or  Kriloff,  would  form  an  interesting  collection  by 
riD'Bsteries.  themselves,  and  it  would  be  amusing  to  trace  the 
pedigree  of  some  of  the  tales.  Our  national  jokes  are  said 
to  be  very  ancient  in  origin  ;  possibly  some  day  the  Curate's 
Egg  will  be  traced  to  a  budding  priest  of  Amen-Ra,  lunching 
with  the  Hierophant.  Then  there  are  books  of  proverbs — 
more  than  one  would  think — and  the  folk-lore  of  all  countries 
that  provides  fairy-tales  more  entertaining  than  ever  came 
out  of  the  head  of  Perrault  or  Andersen.  Altogether  a 
heading  which  contains  some  fascinating  literature. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  such  books  as  the  '  Arabian  Nights,' 
Le  Grand's  collections  of  ancient  Norman  tales,  and  Balzac's 
'  Contes  Drolatiques  '  should  be  included  here ;  perhaps 
de  natura  they  should  be  classed  rather  with  '  Facetiae  and 
Curiosa.'  The  literature  upon  this  subject  is  a  large  one, 
and  there  is  an  excellent  list  of  writings  upon  Minstrels, 
Mysteries,  Miracle  Plays,  and  Moralities  in  the  fifth  volume 
of  the  '  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature,'  pages  385 
to  394  ;  as  well  as  in  Mr.  Courtney's  invaluable  work. 

26.  Freemasonry  is  another  of  those  subjects  (like  Archi- 
tecture, Law,  and  Early  Science)  which  usually  engage  the 
ffreemaeonrv      attentions  of  those  whose  businesses  lead,  or  have 

"c  at  one  time  led,  them  to  those  things.     Some  of 

the  booksellers  specialise  in  such  works,  and  the  older  books 
on  Freemasonry  cannot  be  said  to  be  of  frequent  occurrence 
in  the  ordinary  booksellers'  catalogues.  The  finest  extant 
library  of  Masonic  books  in  the  English  tongue  is  said  to  be 
at  the  Freemasons'  Hall,  in  London,  but  it  is  accessible  only 
to  Freemasons.  A  catalogue  of  it  was  privately  printed  by 
H.   W.   Hemsworth   in   1869,   and  more  recently  by  W.   J. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  233 

Hughan  in  1888  ;  a  supplement  to  this  last  appeared  in  1895. 
The  Masonic  books  at  No.  33  Golden  Square  were  also 
catalogued  by  Hemsworth  (1870),  and  more  recently  by  Mr. 
Edward  Armitage — quarto,  1900. 

27.  The  mention  of  books  on  the  French  Revolution  at 
once  conjures  up  the  name  of  that  indefatigable  collector  and 
cabinet  minister,  John  Wilson  Croker.  During  *rencb 
his  period  of  office  at  the  Admiralty  he  amassed  "Kevoiution. 
there  more  than  ten  thousand  Revolutionary  books,  tracts,  and 
writings  ;  and  when  the  accession  of  the  Whigs  drove  him 
from  his  home  there,  he  sold  his  entire  library  to  the  British 
Museum.  But  neither  change  of  government  nor  loss  of 
income  could  cure  the  fever  of  collecting  and  six  years  later 
he  had  amassed  another  collection  as  large  as  the  first.  This 
also  was  purchased  by  the  Museum  authorities.  Before  he 
died  he  had  garnered  a  third  collection  as  large  as  the  two 
previous  ones  put  together,  and  this  also  found  a  home  in 
Bloomsbury.  A  'List  of  the  Contents  *  of  these  three  collec- 
tions was  published  by  the  Museum  authorities  in  1899. 
Croker's  magnificent  collection  of  letters  and  writings  on  the 
same  period  was  sold  for  only  £50  at  his  death ;  it  went 
en  bloc  to  the  library  of  Sir  Thomas  Phillips  at  Middle  Hill 

28.  What  book-lover  does  not  love  a  garden  ?     '  God  first 

planted  a  garden :    and  indeed  it   is   the   purest   of  human 

pleasures.     It  is  the  greatest  refreshment  to  the 

.   .  (3ar6en0. 

spirits  of  man,'  wrote  Bacon.     Whether  it  be  the 

tranquil  beauty  of  an  old-world  pleasaunce  or  the  peaceful 

occupation  of  gardening  that  appeals  to  the  temperament  of 

the  bibliophile,  certain  it  is  that  the  book-lover  is  invariably 

a  lover  of  the  garden  also.     To  him  the  very  mention  of 

stone  moss-grown  walks,  a  sundial,   roses,  and  green   lawn 

conjures  up  a  vision  of  delight.     To  talk  of  those  who  wrote 

of  gardens  would  be  to  mention  the  literature  of  all  time  ;  for 

gardens  are  as  old  as  the  human  race.     Indeed,   *  Gardens 

were  before  gardeners,  and  but  some  hours  after  the  Earth,' 

says  Sir  Thomas  Browne  in  that  most  delightful  of  discourses. 


234  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

'  The  Garden  of  Cyrus.'  A  History  of  Gardening  in  England 
has  been  compiled  by  the  Hon.  Miss  Alicia  Amherst ;  a 
second  edition  was  published  in  1896,  and  an  enlarged  edition 
in  1910.  Hazlitt's  '  Gleanings  in  Old  Garden  Literature  ' 
(which  contains  a  bibliography)  appeared  in  1887.  The 
famous  library  of  old  gardening  literature,  said  to  be  the 
most  complete  and  extensive  of  its  kind,  amassed  by 
M.  Krelage,  a  bulb  merchant  of  Haarlem,  has  recently  been 
incorporated  in  the  State  Agricultural  Library  of  Wcigeningen, 
Holland* 

29.  Heraldry  is  the  next  subject  which  claims  our  attention  ; 
and  under  this  head  we  will  include  all  those  works  which 
treat  of  La  Chevalerie  and  Noblesse,  the  Orders 
of  Knighthood,  the  Templars  and  Hospitallers, 
the  Crusades,  Peerages,  Genealogical  Works,  Family 
Histories,  books  on  Parliament  and  Ceremonies,  Pomps, 
Festivals,  Pageants,  Processions,  works  on  Brasses  and  Seals, 
as  well  as  those  which  treat  of  the  science  of  Blazon  proper. 
Here,  at  all  events,  is  a  variety  of  sub-headings. 

The  first  English  bibliography  of  works  upon  this  subject 
which  our  book-hunter  has  come  across  so  far  is  a  thin  quarto 
volume  entitled  '  Catalogus  plerumque  omnium  Authorum  qui 
de  Re  Heraldica  scripserunt,'  by  Thomas  Gore,  and  it 
appeared  first  in  16G8.  A  second  edition  was  published  in 
1674 :  both  are  now  very  scarce.  This  work  contains  a  list 
of  writers,  both  English  and  foreign,  upon  Chivalry,  Nobility, 
and  such  kindred  subjects.  But  a  quarto  volume,  which 
appeared  in  1650,  entitled  '  The  Art  of  Making  Devises,* 
translated  by  T.  B[lount]  from  the  French  of  H.  Estienne, 
contains,  in  the  preliminary  matter,  a  list  of  writers  on 
Nobility.  Dallaway's  '  Inquiries  into  the  Origin  and  Progress 
of  the  Science  of  Heraldry  in  England,'  large  quarto, 
Gloucester,  1793,  contains  a  list  of  English  heraldic  writers, 

*  Msr.  F.  C.  Wieder,  the  librarian,  writing  to  the  'Times  Literary  Supple- 
ment' of  6th  February  1919  (p. 70),  states  that  'the  catalogue  is  in  prepara- 
tion, and  arran<:;ements  will  be  made  that  the  books  of  this  library  can  be 
sent  on  loan  to  foreign  students  through  the  intermediary  of  public  libraries.' 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  235 

with  their  works ;  and  Sir  Egerton  Brydges  pubhshed  a  more 
copious  list  in  the  third  volume  of  his  '  Censura  Literaria.' 
Moule's  '  Bibliotheca  Heraldica  Magnae  Britanniae  '  appeared 
in  1822,  a  large  octavo.  He  gives  descriptions  of  817  English 
works  on  Heraldry,  Genealogy,  Regal  Descents  and 
Successions,  Coronations,  Royal  Progresses  and  Visits,  the 
Laws  and  Privileges  of  Honour,  Titles  of  Honour,  Precedency, 
Peerage  Cases,  Orders  of  Knighthood,  Baptismal,  Nuptial, 
and  Funeral  Ceremonies,  and  Chivalry  generally.  At  the  end 
is  a  short  list  of  211  foreign  writers  upon  these  subjects — out 
of  many  thousands.  There  is  an  interleaved  copy,  containing 
many  additions,  in  the  British  Museum. 

More  recently  Mr.  G.  Gatfield  has  put  forth  a  valuable  work, 
entitled  *  A  Guide  to  Printed  Books  and  Manuscripts  relating 
to  English  and  Foreign  Heraldry  and  Genealogy,'  an  octavo 
volume  of  which  a  limited  edition  was  printed  in  1892. 
Guigard's  '  Bibliotheque  Heraldique  de  la  France  '  appeared 
at  Paris  in  1861.  It  has  a  useful  bibliography  of  French 
books  upon  all  the  subjects  chosen  by  Moule.  The  Henry 
Bradshaw  Society  also  has  published  rare  Coronation  tracts 
and  Coronation  service  books. 

Few  classes  in  our  list  contain  more  sumptuous  volumes 
than  those  comprised  under  this  heading.  In  our  own  tongue 
we  have  Anstis'  and  Ashmole's  handsome  folios  on  the  Garter, 
the  latter  with  its  beautiful  folding  plates  ;  Jaggard's  edition 
(1623)  of  Favyn's  *  Theatre  d'Honneur  et  de  Chevalerie  '  by 
an  unknown  translator,  Sandford's  '  Genealogical  History  of 
the  Kings  and  Queens  of  England  '  (Stebbing's  edition,  1707, 
please),  Milles'  '  Catalogue  of  Honor  or  Treasury  of  the 
Nobility  peculiar  and  proper  to  the  Isle  of  Great  Britaine.'  not 
forgetting  Gwillim  (the  sixth  edition,  1724)  and,  of  course, 
Master  Nicholas  Upton.  All  these  are  handsome  folios  with 
copperplate  engravings. 

The  French  books  on  Noblesse  are  equally  sumptuous. 
'  Le  Vray  Theatre  d'Honneur  et  de  Chevalerie  ou  le  Miroir 
Heroique  de  la  Noblesse,'  by  Marc  de  Vulson,  Sieur  de  la 


236  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Colombiere,  appeared  at  Paris  in  two  folio  volumes  in  1648. 
It  is  a  magnificent  book,  and  a  classic  in  this  department  of 
literature.  The  same  author's  '  La  Science  Heroique  '  was 
pubhshed  first,  also  in  folio  at  Paris,  in  1644 ;  but  in  1669  a 
second  edition,  considerably  augmented,  was  put  forth.  Of 
the  author  I  find  nothing  further  memorable  than  that,  having 
surprised  his  wife  with  a  gallant,  he  slew  them  both,  and  then 
took  a  post-chaise  to  Paris  to  solicit  the  King's  pardon,  which 
he  immediately  obtained.  There  are  many  other  equally  fine 
works  in  French,  but  it  were  tedious  to  catalogue  them  here. 
Two  handsome  volumes  on  jousting  and  tournaments  have 
recently  been  put  forth.  *  The  History  of  the  Tournament 
in  England  and  France,'  by  Mr.  F.  H.  Cripps-Day,  was  issued 
by  Quaritch  in  1919,  whilst  '  The  Tournament :  its  Periods 
and  Phases,'  by  Mr.  R.  C,  Clephan,  was  pubhshed  the  same 
year. 

Books  on  seals  are  much  less  numerous,  though  none  the 
less  ornate ;  for  engravings  are  practically  essential  here. 
They  are,  generally,  scarce  ;  for  the  circle  of  readers  to  which 
such  volumes  appeal  can  never  have  been  a  wide  one  ;  so  it  is 
improbable  that  large  impressions  of  any  of  them  were  printed. 
The  '  Sigilla  Comitum  Flandriae  '  of  OUver  Vredius,  a  small 
folio,  with  nearly  three  hundred  engravings  of  mediaeval  seals, 
was  printed  first  at  Bruges  in  1639.  It  is  a  beautiful  volume, 
the  seals  being  drawn  to  scale  and  exquisitely  engraved  by 
four  Bruges  engravers — Samuel  Lommelin,  Adrian  his  son, 
Francis  Schelhaver,  and  Francis  his  son.  Unfortunately  the 
plates  became  worn  after  printing  off  a  few  copies  (especially 
those  on  pages  138,  213,  246),  and  the  early  impressions  are 
much  to  be  preferred.  A  good  test  is  to  turn  to  the  engraved 
genealogical  tree  on  the  recto  of  leaf  Cc6.  In  the  later-printed 
copies  the  foot  of  this  engraving  is  most  indistinct.  A  French 
translation  appeared  at  Bruges  in  1643. 

Two  of  the  scarcest  English  books  upon  seals  were 
compiled  by  clergymen.  The  first,  a  thin  quarto  of  31  pages, 
is  entitled  '  A  Dissertation  upon  the  Antiquity  and  Use  of 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  237 

Seals  in  England.  Collected  by  •  •  »  »  1736,'  and 
was  printed  for  William  Mount  and  Thomas  Page  on  Tower 
Hill  in  1740.  Its  author  was  the  Rev.  John  Lewis,  a  former 
curate  at  Margate,  who  died  in  1746.  There  is  an  engraved 
frontispiece  of  seals,  and  several  copperplates  in  the  text.  It  is 
very,  very  scarce,  and  it  was  some  years  before  our  book-hunter 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  copy.  The  other  authority  was  the 
Rev.  George  Henry  Dashwood,  of  Stowe  Bardolph.  From 
his  private  press  he  produced,  in  1847,  a  quarto  volume 
consisting  of  fourteen  engraved  plates  (by  W.  Taylor)  of  seals, 
with  descriptions  opposite.  It  is  entitled  '  Engravings  from 
Ancient  Seals  attached  to  Deeds  and  Charters  in  the  Aluni- 
ment  Room  of  Sir  Thomas  Hare,  Baronet,  of  Stowe  Bardolph,' 
and  is  common  enough.  Copies  on  large  paper  are  not 
infrequent.  But  in  1862  a  '  second  series  '  appeared.  This 
consists  of  eight  plates  and  descriptions,  and  at  the  end  are  two 
leaves  of  notes  to  both  series.  Our  book-hunter  has  not  yet 
come  across  a  duplicate  (even  in  the  British  Museum  or  at  the 
Antiquaries)  of  this  second  volume,  which  he  was  so  fortunate 
as  to  find  a  week  after  receiving  the  first. 

A  publication  containing  a  fine  collection  of  armorial  seals 
was  produced  at  Brussels  between  1897  and  1903.  It  was 
published  in  fifteen  parts,  large  octavo,  and  is  entitled  '  Sceaux 
Armoiries  des  Pays-bas  et  des  Pays  avoisinants.'  Lechaude- 
d'Anisy's  '  Recueil  des  Sceaux  Normands,'  an  oblong  quarto 
which  appeared  at  Caen  in  1834,  is  another  of  these  handsome 
books ;  but  we  have  already  lingered  too  long  over  this 
fascinating  heading. 

30.  History  is  a  somewhat  wide  subject,  for  it  comprises 
descriptions  of  any  epoch  or  sequence  of  events  in  the 
existence  of  anything !  We  can  read  histories  of 
the  Glacial  Age  or  of  Charles  II,  of  the  Quakers 
or  Tasmania,  of  the  life  of  a  cabbage  or  the  Crimean  War. 
Even  a  dissertation  on  the  development  of  the  inkpot  would 
be  deemed  history  nowadays.  For  the  present,  however,  we 
will  confine  ourselves  to  that  branch  of  it  which  treats  of  the 


238  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

human  element,  nations  and  communities,  and  events  in  their 
development.  We  must  include  travels,  politics,  diaries, 
memoirs,  and  biographies,  for  all  of  these  are  indispensable 
adjuncts.  The  voyages  of  Columbus,  the  Greville  Papers,  the 
Memoirs  of  Fezensac,  and  the  Paston  Letters  are  no  less 
history  than  Freeman's  '  Norman  Conquest,'  Froude's 
'  Armada,'  or  Napier's  '  Peninsular  War.'  It  is  a  student's 
subject,  and  as  rational  a  branch  of  book-collecting  as  there 
be.  The  collecting  of  early  editions  of  the  chroniclers, 
English  or  foreign,  is  an  interesting  by-way.  The  series  of 
British" Chronicles  issued  under  the  direction  of  the  Master  of 
the  Rolls  is  a  fairly  complete  one,  and  the  works  of  many 
other  early  historians  have  been  published  from  time  to  time 
by  the  learned  societies.  A  lengthy  list  of  bibliographies  is 
given  in  Mr.  Courtney's  work,  and  there  are  useful  bibho- 
graphies  at  the  end  of  each  volume  of  the  '  Cambridge  Modern 
History.' 

Under  this  heading  we  will  include  '  Events  *  ;  such  as  the 
Armada,  the  Great  Fire  of  London,  the  Gordon  Riots,  the 
'45,  but  not,  I  think,  the  French  Revolution  or  the  Napoleonic 
Era,  the  literatures  of  which  are  of  such  magnitude  as  to 
demand  separate  headings.  There  are  collections  of  books 
on  all  these  subjects  and  many  similar  ones  which  fall  naturally 
under  the  heading  '  History.' 

31.  The  word  *  husbandry  '  has  an  old-world  flavour  now  : 
the  classical  '  agriculture '  is  preferred.  It  is  a  change, 
however,  that  we  bookworms  and  curious 
antiquaries  in  nowise  relish.  The  old  English 
or  Scandinavian  term  which  came  to  us  from  our  forefathers 
is  more  seemly  to  our  mind  than  the  modem  Latin  importa- 
tion. Nowadays  any  word  is  better  than  one  drawn  from  our 
old  English  tongue.  We  may  not  speak  of  anything  so 
indelicate  as  a  belly,  but  we  can  mention  an  abdomen  in  the 
politest  society.  Provided  we  denote  them  by  their  Latin  or 
Greek  names,  we  may  even  mention  any  parts  of  our  viscera 
(I  may  not  say  bowels)  without  raising  a  blush.  Mention  them 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  23^ 

in  English,  and  we  are  at  once  boors  and  churls.  But  the 
husbandman's  occupation  has  changed  with  the  language. 
Originally  he  was  merely  a  hus-bondi,  or  house-inhabitor, 
though  probably  he  had  more  to  do  with  agriculture  than  the 
farmer  who  ousted  him.  The  '  fermor  '  farmed  or  rented 
certain  land  from  his  overlord,  making  what  he  could  out  of 
the  tenants  on  it.  And  in  time  even  the  word  *  farmer  '  will 
pass  out  of  use.  Just  as  the  charwoman  to-day  insists  upon 
a  fictitious  gentility,  so  in  years  to  come  the  farmer  will  denote- 
himself  an  agriculturist,  possibly  with  the  epithet  '  scientific.' 
We  no  longer  talk  of  villeins  and  carles  ;  both  have  become 
sadly  perverted  in  their  meaning,  although  the  dictionary  still 
allows  the  latter  to  mean  '  a  strong  man.'  But,  it  hastens  to- 
add,  vindictively,  '  generally  an  old  or  a  rude-mannered  one.* 
So  is  our  language  changing. 

They  are  quaint  volumes,  the  older  treatises  on  husbandry,, 
and  for  the  most  part  they  contain  an  extraordinary  medley  of 
information.  There  is  a  charm  about  their  titles  and  language 
that  few  other  classes  of  books  possess.  Poultry,  we  know, 
can  be  obstinate  wildfowl,  but  who  nowadays  would  write 
of  their  '  husbandlye  ordring  and  governmente  '  ?  Such  was- 
the  title  of  Mascall's  work  put  forth  in  1581.  Pynson  printed 
an  interesting  book  on  estate  management  in  1523  for,, 
probably,  John  Fitzherbert :  *  Here  begynneth  a  ryght 
frutefull  mater  ;  and  hath  to  name  the  boke  of  surveying  and 
improuvements.'  It  is  full  of  curious  conceits,  even  con- 
cerning the  good  housewife  who,  says  Gervase  Markham  in 
his  '  Country  Contentments,'  '  must  bee  cleanly  both  in  body 
and  garments,  she  must  have  a  quicke  eye,  a  curious  nose,  a 
perfect  taste,  and  ready  eare.'  But  these  volumes  are  not 
easy  to  find,  even  though  the  book-hunter's  nose  be  as  curious, 
as  a  housewife's,  and,  when  perfect,  are  of  considerable  value. 
Tusser's  curious  rhyming  '  Hundred  good  pointes  of 
husbandrie,'  enlarged  later  to  '  Five  Hundred  Pointes,'  is 
perhaps  the  commonest  of  these  earlier  works.  Between  1557 
and  1599  it  went  through  eight  editions,  though  the  first  is. 


240  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

known  only  by  the  unique  copy  in  the  British  Museum.  A 
useful  list  of  writers  upon  agricultural  subjects  from  1200  to 
1800  appeared  in  1908.     It  is  by  Mr.  D.  McDonald. 

32.  Illustrated    Books   and    Books    of    Engravings    might 
perhaps  have  been  included  as  a  sub-heading  to  *  the  Fine 

_jj^gjj.jj^j^  Arts  '  ;  but  they  form  a  distinct  class  and  so 
jsooftg.  frequently  engage  the  attention  of  specialists, 
that  our  book-hunter  has  thought  fit  to  put  them  in  a  class 
by  themselves.  Some  will  have  only  those  volumes  illustrated 
by  one  of  the  Cruikshank  brothers,  others  prefer  Blake's  or 
Bewick's  designs,  and  so  on.  Some  again  cleave  to  the 
volumes  illustrated  by  Paul  Avril  or  Adolf  Lalauze,  Kate 
Greenaway  or  Randolph  Caldecott.  With  regard  to  the  early 
book-illustrators',  several  text-books  that  will  be  useful  to 
those  who  specialise  in  this  subject  have  been  mentioned  in 
the  chapter  dealing  with  the  Books  of  the  Collector.  An 
excellent  conspectus  of  book  illustration,  from  the  earliest 
times  to  the  present  day,  is  contained  in  the  fifth  chapter  of 
'  The  Book :  its  History  and  Development,'  by  Mr.  Cyril 
Davenport  (octavo,  1907).  At  the  end  is  a  useful  list  of 
English  and  foreign  works  on  book-illustration  and  its  various 
methods.  '  A  Descriptive  Bibliography  of  Books  in  English 
relating  to  Engraving  and  the  Collection  of  Prints  '  by  Mr. 
Howard  C.  Levis,  was  put  forth  in  1912. 

33.  Law  need  not  detain  us.     Its  literature  has  not  merely 
kept  pace  with,  but  has  far  outstripped,  the  growth  of  English 

Law ;  and  it  extends  back  at  least  to  the 
'  Tractatus  de  Legibus '  of  Ranulf  de  Glanville, 
the  great  Justiciar  under  Henry  II.  The  collector  of  ancient 
law  books  will  probably  be  a  member  of  one  of  the  four  great 
London  seats  of  law,  or  at  least  have  access  to  their  famous 
libraries ;  there  are  printed  catalogues  of  all  of  them.  The 
Advocates*  Library  at  Edinburgh,  too,  possesses  a  magnificent 
collection  of  ancient  law  books.  A  catalogue  of  it  was 
published  by  David  Irving  in  1831,  and  more  recently  in  seven 
quarto  volumes,  1867  to  1879.       If  you  collect  old  French 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  241 

'  coutumiers,'  Cooper's  '  Catalogue  or  Books  on  the  Laws 
and  Jurisprudence  of  France  '  may  be  useful  to  you.  It  was 
printed  in  octavo,  1849. 

34.  The  collection  of  Liturgies  is  a  subject  that  usually 
goes  hand  in  hand  with  the  collection  of  Bibles  and  theological 
works.     But  it  is  for  all  that  a  distinct  subject, 

and  may  well  engage  the  undivided  attention  of 
the  collector.  '  A  New  History  of  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,'  by  Messrs.  Proctor  and  Frere,  is  perhaps  at  present 
the  standard  work  upon  the  history  of  our  English  prayer 
book.  The  latest  edition  is  dated  1914,  and  it  is  published 
by  the  house  of  Macmillan.  The  Rev.  W.  H.  J.  Weale's 
'  Bibliographia  Liturgica,  Catalogus  Missalium,  Ritus  Latini 
ab  anno  1475  impressorum  '  appeared  in  1886.  The  Henry 
Bradshaw  Society  was  founded  in  1890  for  the  publication  of 
rare  liturgical  tracts ;  whilst  Maskell's  '  Ancient  Liturgy  of 
the  Church  of  England  '  (third  edition,  octavo,  1882)  contains 
a  collection  of  the  service  books  in  use  in  England  before  the 
Reformation. 

35.  Locally-printed  books  is  a  heading  of  considerable 
interest  from  the  bibliographical  point  of  view.  The  term  is 
a  wide  one,  for  the  volumes  it  includes  range  from  „  „  ,  ^  ^ 
those  printed  in  a  particular  country  to  those  asoohs. 
produced  in  an  individual  town.  Has  anyone  yet  attempted 
to  form  a  collection  of  books  printed  in  Barbadoes  or  Java, 
in  Donegal  or  Dover  ?  Probably ;  but  I  am  unaware  of  any 
attempts  at  bibliographies.  With  the  growth  of  the  public 
library  in  every  town  of  importance  throughout  the  kingdom, 
there  are  increasing  opportunities  for  valuable  work  in  this 
direction ;  and  every  year  should  see  the  issue  of  biblio- 
graphies by  those  institutions,  works  which  would  contain 
not  merely  a  list  of  books  printed  in  each  particular  town» 
but  a  history  of  printing  in  that  place. 

Mr.  Falconer  Madan's  '  Oxford  Books  '  may  well  serve  as 
a  model  for  such  works.  It  was  published  in  two  octavo 
volumes  at  Oxford  in  1895  and  1912  respectively,  the  first 


242  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

volume  being  concerned  with  the  productions  of  the  early 
presses  of  that  town.  There  are  useful  lists  of  books  which 
issued  from  the  early  presses  of  Scotland  by  Mr.  H.  G.  Aldis, 
and  Ireland  by  Mr.  E.  R.  McC.  Dix.  '  The  Annals  of  Scottish 
Printing,'  a  large  quarto  by  R.  Dickson  and  J.  P.  Edmond, 
was  printed  at  Cambridge  in  1890.  A  model  for  the  county 
bibliography  is  the  '  Bibliotheca  Comubiensis  '  of  Messrs. 
G.  C.  Boase  and  W.  P.  Courtney,  produced  in  three  octavo 
volumes,  between  1874  and  1882  ;  and  there  are  accounts  of 
the  early  presses  in  several  English  counties,  as  well  as  at 
Cambridge,  York,  Birmingham  and  other  important  towns. 
But  a  considerable  amount  of  work  has  still  to  be  done  in  this 
direction.  A  valuable  little  book  appeared  in  1912  issued 
by  the  Cambridge  University  Press.  It  is  entitled  *  The 
English  Provincial  Printers,  Stationers,  and  Bookbinders,  to 
1557,'  and  is  by  Mr.  E.  Gordon  Duff.  There  are  accounts 
of  the  early  presses  at  Oxford,  St.  Albans,  Hereford,  Exeter, 
York,  Cambridge,  Tavistock,  Abingdon,  Ipswich,  Worcester 
and  Canterbury ;  and  it  is  a  volume  that  should  find  a  place 
on  the  shelf  of  every  bibliophile. 

There  is  an  interesting  byway  in  connection  with  this 
heading :  the  collection  of  English  books  printed  abroad. 
Is  there  anywhere  a  collection  of  books  in  the  English  tongue 
printed  at  Paris  ?  One  constantly  comes  across  such  volumes, 
especially  those  issued  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  After  that  time,  Bernhard  Tauchnitz  of  Leipzig 
appears  to  have  gathered  into  his  hands  the  trade  of  English 
books  printed  abroad.  Recently  our  book-hunter  came  across 
a  curious  example  of  these  peregrine  volumes.  It  is  a  narrow 
octavo  of  some  three  hundred  pages,  entitled  '  An  Introduction 
to  the  Field  Sports  of  France,'  and  was  printed  by  Auguste 
Lemaire  at  St.  Omer  (Pas  de  Calais)  in  1846.  At  the  end  is 
the  following  note :  *  The  reader  will  make  due  allowance  for 
any  misprints  he  may  discover,  when  apprised  that  the  printer 
knows  nothing  of  the  english  language,  and  they  chiefly  occur 
in  the  commencement  of  the  work.'     Evidently  M.  Lemaire 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  243 

warmed  to  his  task  as  he  went  on.  But  the  '  Dame  of  our 
Ladie  of  Comfort  of  the  Order  of  S.  Bennett  in  Cambray  ' 
who  translated  St.  Francis  de  Sales'  *  Delicious  Entertainment 
of  the  Soule  '  was  even  more  modest.  Her  version  was 
printed  at  Douai  by  Gheerart  Pinson  in  1632,  and  apparently 
neither  printer  nor  translator  was  very  proud  of  the  work,  for 
in  the  '  Apology  for  Errors  '  we  are  told  that  '  the  printer  was 
a  Wallon  who  understood  nothing  at  all  English,  and  the 
translatresse  a  woman  that  had  not  much  skille  in  the  French.' 
Still,  imperfect  though  typography  and  translation  be,  between 
them  they  produced  a  book  that  is  eagerly  sought  by  collectors 
to-day. 

This  is  a  topic,  however,  that  is  full  of  pitfalls.  Hundreds 
of  European-printed  books  now  bear  Asiatic  imprints ; 
thousands  of  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  century  works 
printed  at  Paris  bear  the  imprint  of  The  Hague  or  some 
other  Dutch  town.  Our  English  publishers  have  not  been 
innocent  of  this  charge  either.  Many  a  volume  printed  in 
Holland  and  Germany  bears  the  London  imprint.  The 
original  edition  of  Burton's  translation  of  the  '  Arabian 
Nights,'  issued  by  him  in  London,  claims  to  have  been 
produced  at  Benares.* 

36.   '  The  seconde  parte  of  the  catalogue  of  English  printed 
bookes  '  for  sale  by  Andrew  Maunsell  in  1595,  concerned,  we 
are  told,   *  the  sciences  mathematicall,  as  arith- 
metick,  geometrie,  astronomic,  astrologie,  musick,    mathematical 

a^^  £arlx> 

the  arte  of  warre,  and  navigation.'  But  it  is  not  scientific' 
my  intention  to  include  musick  and  the  arte  of 
Wcurre  here,  this  heading  comprising  those  works  which  deal 
with  mathematics  and  physics  only,  with  their  dependent 
subjects,  such  as  (in  addition  to  those  mentioned  by  Master 
Maunsell)  geodesy,  mensuration  of  all  kinds,  meteorology, 
seismography,  and  books  on  chance  and  probabilities. 

Sir  Henry  BilHngsley's  edition  of  Euclid's  '  Elements ' 
(1570)    is    naturally    a    rare    book,    as    is   John    Blagrave's 

•  See  note  on  p.  78. 


244  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

'  Mathematical  Jewel,'  a  folio  issued  in  1585.  It  is  one  of  the 
earliest  English  books  upon  mathematics.  Blagravet  was  the 
author  of  a  number  of  works  on  Geometry,  Navigation, 
Dialling,  etc. 

For  a  history  of  mathematics  you  must  turn  to  the  four 
quarto  volumes  of  that  ingenious  Frenchman,  M.  Jean  Etienne 
Montucla.  This  work,  the  '  Histoire  de  Mathematiques,'  first 
appeared  in  two  volumes  in  1758  ;  but  the  author  devoted  the 
later  years  of  his  life  to  enlarging  it  and  the  new  edition  was 
published  at  Paris  in  1799.  It  was  reprinted  in  1810.  This 
mathematician  is  said  to  have  written  a  treatise  on  squaring 
the  circle,  but  our  book-hunter  has  not  yet  come  across  a  copy. 
*  A  History  of  Ancient  Astronomy  '  appeared  at  Paris  (quarto) 
in  1775 :  it  was  by  that  great  man  who  presided  over  the 
memorable  assembly  at  the  Tennis  Court  on  the  20th  June 
1789,  Jean  Sylvain  Bailly.  Four  years  later  he  produced  a 
history  of  Modern  Astronomy  from  the  foundation  of  the 
Alexandrian  School  to  1730  (three  vols,  quarto,  Paris, 
1779-82):  and  in  1787  came  the  History  of  Indian  and 
Oriental  Astronomy  from  the  same  pen.  All  these  contain 
interesting  details  of  the  origin  and  progress  of  astronomical 
science,  with  the  lives,  writings,  and  discoveries  of  astronomers. 
With  regard  to  our  own  great  mathematician.  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  a  bibliography  of  his  works  has  been  published  by 
Mr.  G.  J.  Gray ;  the  second  edition  appeared  at  Cambridge 
in  1907. 

Mr.  D.  E.  Smith's  *  Rara  Arithmetica,'  a  catalogue  of 
arithmetical  works  which  appeared  prior  to  the  year  1601, 
was  printed,  in  a  limited  edition,  at  Boston  (United  States) 
in  1908.  It  is  a  sumptuously  produced  work  in  two  large 
octavo  volumes,  copiously  illustrated.     Professor  de  Morgan's 

tThe  moated  manor-house  (Southcote,  near  Reading)  which  he  built  pro- 
vides an  excellent  example  of  the  way  in  which  learned  men  (especially 
mathematicians  !)  go  astray  when  thev  insist  upon  being  their  own  architects. 
A  more  unhandy  house  it  is  difficult  to  conceive ;  and  in  winter-time  the 
dinner  must  invariably  have  been  cold  by  the  time  it  reached  the  dining-room. 
The  writer  of  these  lines  prospected  it  from  attics  to  cellars  some  years  ago, 
but  as  usual  "drew  blank." 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  245 

'  Arithmetical  Books  from  the  Invention  of  Printing  to  the 

Present  Time  '  contains  brief  notices  of  a  large  number  of 

works  '  drawn  up  from  actual  inspection.'     It  was  published 

— a  thin  octavo  of  124  pages — in  1847,  and  the  books  are 

arranged  chronologically  ;    but  there  is  an  index  of  authors. 

37.  The  collection  of  early  medical  books  is  a  hobby  that 

must  appeal  chiefly  to  the  chirurgeon.     Its  sub-headings  are 

not  numerous,   and  each  comprises  volumes  of 

/Debtcal. 
considerable  bibliographical  interest.     There  are 

curious  books  on  '  poysons  '  as  well  as  upon  the  commoner 
branches  of  surgery,  and  there  are  glorious  editions  of  all  the 
ancient  iEsculapians,  such  as  Hippocrates,  Dioscorides,  Galen, 
and  Avicenna.  Herbals  are  doubtless  collected  by  many  who 
are  not  possessed  of  medical  knowledge,  and  a  number  of 
them  treat  more  of  simples  and  housewifery  than  leechcraft, 
which  is  probably  one  reason  of  their  attraction  for  the  non- 
medical collector.  But  as  these  volumes  in  general  are  so 
inextricably  bound  up  with  the  science  of  healing,  I  have 
thought  fit  to  include  them  here.  There  is  no  denying  that 
the  fascination  of  these  curious  volumes,  often  (as  in  Fuch's 
magnificent  tome)  containing  woodcuts  that  are  a  sheer  delight 
to  the  bibliographer  no  less  than  to  the  botanist,  is  a  strong 
one. 

It  is  a  moot  point  whether  works  on  Early  Chemistry  or 
Alchemy  should  be  included  here  or  under  the  heading 
'  Occult,*  seeing  that  they  usually  centre  about  the  Elixir  of 
Life  and  the  Philosopher's  Stone.  Perhaps  they  would  be 
classed  more  accurately  with  Early  Scientific.  But  for  the 
purposes  of  our  list  I  have  reserved  that  heading  for  those 
books  which  treat  of  mathematics  and  physics  only.  With  the 
early  works  upon  astiology  we  need  not  concern  ourselves 
here :  they  have  more  to  do  with  divination  and  horoscopes 
than  the  craft  of  healing,  so  their  appeal  is  chiefly  to  the 
student  of  the  occult.  It  is  impossible,  however,  to  classify 
under  one  heading  all  those  early  works  which  treat  of  the 
beginnings    of    scientific    knowledge.       The    star-gazer,   the 


246  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

herbalist,  the  necromancer,  and  the  leech,  must  be  content 
to  share  among  themselves  a  class  of  books  which  deals 
generally  with  the  search  into  the  Great  Unknown. 

A  useful  catalogue  of  books  on  Alchemy  was  printed  in  two 
large  quarto  volumes  at  Glasgow  in  1906.  It  is  by  Professor 
John  Ferguson,  and  is  entitled  '  Bibliotheca  Chemica,'  being 
a  list  of  the  hermetic  books  in  the  library  of  Mr.  James  Young. 
The  three  volumes  entitled  '  Leechdoms,  Wortcunning,  and 
Starcraft  of  Early  England  '  by  the  Rev.  Oswald  Cockayne, 
published  in  the  '  Rolls  '  series,  1864-66,  contain  a  valuable 
contribution  to  the  early  medical  science  of  this  country. 
Dr.  J.  F.  Payne's  '  English  Medicine  in  the  Anglo-Saxon 
Times  '  (the  Fitz-Patrick  Lectures  for  1903)  is  for  the  most 
part  a  dissertation  on  that  work. 

Some  of  the  prescriptions  of  these  early  leeches  are  rather 
quaint.  *  If  a  man's  head  burst  ...  let  him  take  roots  of  this 
same  wort,  and  bind  them  on  his  neck.  Then  cometh  to  him 
good  benefit.'  The  following  is  an  excellent  remedy  for 
toothache :  *  Sing  this  for  toothache  after  the  sun  hath  gone 
down — "  Caio  Laio  quaque  voaque  ofer  saeloficia  sleah  manna 
wyrm."  Then  name  the  man  and  his  father,  then  say: 
' '  Lilimenne,  it  acheth  beyond  everything ;  when  it  lieth  low 
it  cooleth  ;  when  on  earth  it  burneth  hottest ;  finit.  Amen."  * 
If  after  this  the  tooth  still  continues  to  ache  beyond  every- 
thing, it  is  evident  that  there  is  a  wyrm  in  it.  For  stomach- 
ache, you  must  press  the  left  thumb  upon  the  stomach  and 
say  *  Adam  bedam  alam  betar  alam  botum.'  This  is 
infallible. 

Collections  of  medical  authors  began  at  an  early  date.  Van 
der  Linden's  '  De  Scriptis  Medicis,  libri  duo  '  appeared  first 
at  Amsterdam  in  1637,  octavo — a  valuable  list  of  authors  and 
the  editions  of  their  works.  But  it  was  reprinted  with 
additions  several  times  during  the  author's  lifetime  (he  died 
in  1664) ;  and  in  1686  appeared  at  Niirnberg  as  a  thick  quarto 
entitled  '  Lindenius  Renovatus.'  Dr.  E.  T.  Withington's 
'  Medical  History  from  the  Earliest  Times,'  octavo,  1894,  is 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  247 

useful  for  reference  ;  whilst  Dr.  Norman  Moore  has  recently 
produced  (Oxford,  1908)  a  '  History  of  the  Study  of  Medicine 
in  the  British  Isles.'  Dr.  E.  J.  Waring's  '  Bibliotheca 
Therapeutica  '  was  published  in  two  octavo  volumes  by  the 
New  Sydenham  Society  in  1878-79.  It  is  a  list  of  the  books 
which  have  been  written  on  each  individual  drug,  classes  of 
medicines,  and  general  therapeutics.  There  is  an  index  of 
authors.  The  first  volume  of  Albrecht  von  Haller's  *  Biblio- 
theca Anatomica  '  was  published  at  London  '  in  vico  vulgo 
dicto  The  Strand  '  in  1774  ;  the  second  volume  at  Zurich  in 
1777.  Both  are  in  quarto,  and  are  biographical  as  well  as 
bibliographical.  The  same  author  published  a  *  Bibliotheca 
Chirurgica  '  and  a  *  Bibliotheca  Medicinae  Practicae  '  at  Berne 
and  Basel  between  1774  and  1788.  His  '  Bibliotheca 
Botanica,'  two  quarto  volumes,  appeared  at  Zurich  in  1771-72. 
For  other  writers  upon  Botany  you  must  consult  Curtius 
Sprengel's  '  Historia  Rei  Herbariae,'  two  octavo  volumes 
which  appeared  at  Amsterdam  in  1807  and  1808.  '  A  Guide 
to  the  Literature  of  Botany  '  by  B.  D.  Jackson  was  issued  by 
the  Index  Society  in  1881.  Jean  Jacques  Manget,  a  Geneva 
physician  who  died  in  1742  at  the  age  of  ninety-one,  was 
another  voluminous  compiler  of  bibliographies  upon  medical 
subjects. 

38.  Under  the  heading  *  Military  '  are  included  not  only 
historical  accounts  of  military  operations  but  those  works  which 

treat  of  the  military  art  and  the  progress  of  its 

^       •  f  •  1  flDilitar?. 

development.  Obviously  it  is  a  subject  that  is  as 
old  as  mankind,  and  dissertations  on  drill  with  the  stone  battle- 
axe  must  find  a  place  here.  Many  of  the  books  on  Arms  and 
Armour  (such  as  Sir  Samuel  Meyrick's  beautiful  folio  volumes) 
are  fine  works,  and  some  of  the  earlier  publications  on 
Castramentation  and  Siege  operations  are  interesting.  We 
must  not  forget  to  mention  the  beautiful  little  Elzevier 
*  Caesar  '  of  1536.  It  is  a  wide  heading,  for  such  books  as 
the  Commentaries  of  Blaise  de  Montluc  and  the  Memoirs  of 
Olivier  de  la  Marche  must  be  included,  as  they  deal  in  large 


248  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

part  with  military  operations.  Books  on  Archery,  Fencing, 
and  Duelhng  are  also  comprised  by  this  heading. 

If  this  be  your  subject,  our  book-hunter  trusts  that  you  have 
been  more  successful  than  he  has  in  your  quest  for  the  '  Traicte 
de  I'Espee  Fran^oise,  par  Maistre  Jean  Savaron  '  (small  octavo, 
Paris,  1610).  He  narrowly  missed  a  copy  in  Paris  some  years 
ago,  and  so  far  this  scarce  little  volume  of  fifty-six  pages  has 
eluded  him  as  successfully  as  the  *  Pastissier  Francois.' 
Probably,  on  account  of  its  slimness,  it  is  usually  bound  up 
with  more  substantial  works,  and  thus  escapes  the  eyes  of 
book-hunters  and  cataloguers.  Savaron  also  wrote  a 
'  Traicte  contre  les  Duels,'  which  is  equally  scarce.  Works 
on  duelling  are  legion,  and  range  from  Carafa's  rather  large 
folio  entitled  '  De  Monomachia  seu  de  Duello,'  Rome,  1647, 
down  to  the  little  '  Dissertation  Historique  sur  les  Duels  at 
les  Ordres  de  Chevalerie :  Par  Monsieur  B  *  *  *  *,'  which 
is  by  Master  Jacques  Basnage — a  duodecimo  produced  first 
at  Amsterdam  in  1720.  An  Italian  bibliography  of  this 
subject  by  J.  Gelli  and  G.  E.  Levi  appeared  in  1903.  For  the 
most  part  they  are  uncommon  works  and  not  easy  to  find.  It  is 
a  subject  that  borders  closely  on  the  Chivalry  of  our  list,  for 
of  course  that  subject  was  (like  Heraldry)  entirely  military  in 
origin.  A  '  Bibliography  of  English  Military  Books  up  to 
1642,  and  of  Contemporary  Foreign  Works  '  was  compiled 
by  Captain  M.  J.  D.  Cockle  and  published  in  quarto  in  1900. 
Mr.  Carl  Thimm's  *  Art  of  Fence  :  a  Complete  Bibliography  ' 
appeared  in  1891 ;  an  enlarged  edition  was  put  forth  in  1896. 

39.  Books  on  Music  may  be  divided  conveniently  into  the 

numerous  sub-headings  which  treat  of  particular  instruments, 

songs,  printed  music  generally,  and  accounts  of 

Au0tc. 

the  early  musicians  and  their  works.  Treatises 
upon  the  violin  are  fairly  numerous ;  *  but  I  do  not  remember 
having  come  across  many  works  on  the  Jew's  harp  or  ocarina. 


*  Mr.  E.  Heron-Allen's  '  De  Fidiculis  Bibliographia  '  was  issued  in  parts, 
and  forms  two  small  quarto  volumes,  1890  and  1894;  but  only  about  sixty 
complete  sets  are  known  to  exist. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  249 

There  are  interesting  old  books  on  the  virginals,  harpsichord, 
and  spinet.  Before  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century  a  number 
of  Missalia,  Gradualia,  Psalteria,  and  Libri  Cantionum  ('  quas 
vulgo  Mutetas  appellant ')  had  appeared  from  the  press.  The 
'  Theoricum  Opus  Musice  Disciplina  *  of  Franchino  Gafori,  or 
Gaffurius  (which,  by  the  way,  is  merely  an  abridgment  of 
Boethius),  is  said  to  be  the  earliest  printed  treatise  on  music. 
It  was  printed  first  at  Naples  in  1480.  Antiphonals  and 
Troparies  must  also  be  included  here. 

A  new  edition  of  Grove's  '  Dictionary  of  Music  and 
Musicians,'  by  Mr.  J.  A.  FuUer-Maitland,  appeared  in  1904. 
Dr.  Charles  Burney's  '  General  History  of  Music  '  occupied 
that  great  English  musician  between  1776  and  1789 — four 
quarto  volumes.  '  The  Literature  of  Music,'  an  octavo  by 
Mr.  J.  E.  Matthew,  was  put  forth  in  the  series  known  as  the 
Booklovers'  Library  in  1896  ;  whilst  the  '  Oxford  History  of 
Music,'  edited  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Hadow,  appeared  in  six  volumes 
between  1901  and  1905.  M.  Henry  de  Curzon's  valuable 
work,  '  Guide  de  1' Amateur  d'Ouvrages  sur  la  Musique,'  was 
printed  at  Paris  in  1901.  For  a  bibliography  of  operas  you 
must  turn  to  the  '  Dictionnaire  des  Operas,'  of  MM.  Clement 
and  Larousse.  Rimbault's  '  Bibliotheca  Madrigaliana,'  which 
is  a  bibliographical  account  of  the  musical  and  poetical  works 
published  in  England  during  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries,  appeared  in  1847  ;  and  you  will  find  a  list  of  early 
songs,  madrigals,  and  '  ayres  '  in  the  fourth  volume  of  the 
'  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature,'  pages  463-6. 
Hazlitt's  '  Catalogue  of  Early  English  Music  in  the  Harleian 
Library,'  was  published  in  1862.  There  are  useful  articles 
on  early  music  printing,  by  Mr.  R.  Steele,  in  the  Biblio- 
graphical Society's  Journal  for  1903,  and  by  Mr.  Barclay 
Squire  in  the  third  volume  of  '  Bibliographica.' 

40.  The  collector  of  books  dealing  with  Napoleon  I.  has  a 
somewhat  narrow  field  to  range  in.  There  is  a  large  number 
of  English  tracts  and  pamphlets  that  deal  with  the  great  man 
and  his  proposed  invasion  of  England,  as  well  as  biographies, 


250  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

memoirs,  and  diaries  concerning  him.  A  collection  of 
such  works  was  formed  in  the  later  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century  by  an  insatiable  Grangerite  named 
Broadley,  and  in  due  time  his  library  came 
under  the  hammer  at  Hodgson's.  It  was  a  remarkable 
collection :  anything  that  concerned  '  Boney,*  however 
remotely,  was  grist  to  this  collector's  mill.  A  catalogue  of 
his  library  was  compiled  and  published  by  Mr.  W.  V.  Daniel 
in  1905.  M.  Gustave  Davois'  '  Bibliographie  Napoleonienne 
Fran^aise  '  to  1908  was  printed  in  three  octavo  volumes  at 
Paris,  1909-11.  Of  M.  Kircheisen's  '  Bibliographie  du  Temps 
de  Napoleon,'  two  quarto  volumes,  published  at  Geneva  in 
1908  and  1912,  have  appeared  up  to  the  time  of  writing. 

41.  The  early  books  on  Natural  History  would  probably  be 
regarded  by  the  modern  zoologist  as  bibliographical  curiosities 

•Raturai  rather  than  intelligent  text-books  ;  and  truly  the 

•totetoriB.  accounts  of  even  the  larger  mammals  given  by 
these  early  observers  of  nature  are  extraordinary.  Most  of 
us  will  remember  reading  Caesar's  description  of  the  elks 
in  the  Hercynian  forest,  which  slept  leaning  up  against  the 
trees  because  they  had  no  joints  in  their  legs.  The 
inhabitants,  cunning  fellows,  sought  out  the  favoured  trees 
and  sawed  them  nearly  through  ;  so  that  when  the  unfortunate 
elks  settled  themselves  to  sleep,  the  booby-traps  came  into 
operation.  Having  no  joints  in  their  legs,  the  poor  beasts 
were  unable  to  rise,  and  so  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  savage 
Teuton.  Herodotus,  too,  was  somewhat  credulous  in  the 
matter  of  animals ;  Sir  John  Mandeville  was  not  always  to 
be  trusted  ;  and  even  Bernard  von  Breydenbach,  who  made  a 
journey  to  the  Holy  Land  about  1485,  beheld  strange  beasts, 
like  Spenser's  giaunts,  *  hard  to  be  beleeved.'  But  perhaps 
the  palm  among  these  mediaeval  monsters  is  held  by  the  eale, 
or,  as  it  became  later,  the  yale  or  jail ;  that  strange  beast 
which  has  survived — in  e^gy  at  least — unto  our  own  times. 

It  appears  that  Pliny  was  the  first  to  discover  this  singular 
animal,  and  his  description  of  it  is  recorded  in  many  of  those 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  251 

quaint  mediaeval  natural  history  volumes  known  as  '  Besti- 
aries.* The  Reverend  Edward  Topsell,  in  his  '  Historie  of 
Foure-footed  Beasts  '  (folio,  1607)  thus  describes  it : 

'  There  is  bred  in  Ethiopia  a  certain  strange  beast  about  the 
bignesse  of  a  sea-horse,  being  of  colour  blacke  or  brownish : 
It  hath  the  cheeks  of  a  Boare,  the  tayle  of  an  Elephant,  and 
homes  above  a  cubit  long,  which  are  moveable  upon  his  head 
at  his  owne  pleasure  like  eares ;  now  standing  one  way,  and 
anone  moving  another  way,  as  he  needeth  in  fighting  with 
other  Beastes,  for  they  stand  not  stiffe  but  bend  flexibly,  and 
when  he  fighteth  he  always  stretcheth  out  the  one,  and  holdeth 
in  the  other,  for  purpose  as  it  may  seeme,  that  if  one  of  them 
may  be  blunted  or  broken,  then  hee  may  defend  himselfe  with 
the  other.  It  may  well  be  compared  to  a  sea-horse,  for  above 
all  other  places  it  loveth  best  the  waters.* 

Unfortunately  no  specimen  has  been  seen  by  travellers 
for  some  years  now,  so  probably  it  is  quite  extinct.  Certainly 
you  will  not  find  a  jail  in  the  Zoo,  or  even  at  South 
Kensington,  though  you  may  see  a  very  excellent  statue  of 
him  on  King  Henry  VIII. 's  bridge  at  Hampton  Court. 

There  are  numerous  bibliographies  of  works  upon  all  classes 
of  animals,  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl — even  the  good  red  herring.* 
For  these  you  must  turn  to  Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney's  invaluable 
work.  The  '  Bibliographia  Zoologiae  et  Geologiae,  a  General 
Catalogue  of  all  Books  on  Zoology  and  Geology,'  was  com- 
piled by  L.  Agassiz  and  H.  E.  Strickland  for  the  Ray  Society 
— four  octavo  volumes,  published  between  1848  and  1854. 
A  *  Bibliotheca  Entomologica,'  by  H.  A.  Hagen,  appeared  at 
Leipzig,  two  octavo  volumes,  in  1862-63. 

42.  The  next  subject.  Nautical  and  Naval,  will  comprise 
chiefly  borrowings  from  other  headings  ;  for  it  will  necessarily 
include  books  of  voyages  and  discoveries,  works  on  naviga- 
tion, meteorology,  and  oceanography,  as  well  as  geographical 
books,  and  such  purely  nautical  volumes  as  dictionaries  of  the 

*  Dodd's  'Essay  towards  a  Natural  History  of  the  Herring,'  1752,  contains 
a  chapter  of  bibliography. 


262  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

marine,  the  history  of  ships  and  shipping,  and  accounts  of  the 
navy  and  mercantile  fleet.  There  is  a  number  of  early  works 
on  the  astrolabe  and  globes,  but  you  must  not  expect  easily  to 

■nauttcai       come  across  '  The  Rutter  of  the  Sea,'  printed  by 

anM^avai.  Robert  Copland  and  Richard  Bankes  in  1528. 
It  is  the  first  English  printed  book  on  Navigation,  being  a 
translation  of  '  Le  Grand  Routier  '  of  Pierre  Garcie. 

The  Society  for  Nautical  Research  was  founded  in  1910, 
and  it  issues  a  monthly  journal  known  as  '  The  Mariner's 
Mirror,'  wherein  are  treated  those  subjects  which  pertain  to 
the  history  of  ships,  sails,  and  rigging ;  in  fact,  everything 
that  has  to  do  with  the  evolution  of  the  ship.  The  original 
*  Mariner's  Mirrour  '  was  a  translation  (by  Anthony  Ashley 
in  1588)  of  Wagenaar's  '  Speculum  Nauticum,'  first  published 
in  1583.  Needless  to  say,  it  is  a  scarce  work,  as  are  all  these 
Elizabethan  volumes  upon  seafaring.  In  volume  IV.  of  the 
'  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature '  you  will  find 
two  chapters  on  the  literature  of  the  sea  from  the  pens  of  those 
great  authorities  Commander  C.  N.  Robinson  and  Mr.  John 
Leyland.  If  this  be  your  subject,  they  will  amply  repay 
perusal.  There  is  an  excellent  list  of  early  works,  pages 
453  to  462. 

43.  Numismatics  is  one  of  those  subjects  which  generally 

engage  the  attentions  of  students  rather  than  book-collectors, 

for   the   volumes    upon    coins    and   medals   are 

'numismatics.  .  i         ,        r  i  ^^  r     1 

necessarily  text-books  for  the  collector  of  these 
things.  Such  works  are,  of  course,  for  the  most  part  illus- 
trated ;  and  some  of  the  older  ones  are  of  considerable  interest 
on  account  of  their  engravings. 

It  is  not  only  to  the  collector  and  '  curious  antiquary,* 
however,  that  some  of  these  works  are  valuable,  for  in  them 
occasionally  the  historian  is  able  to  unearth  matter  scarcely 
obtainable  elsewhere.  Menestrier's  *  Histoire  du  Roy  Louis 
le  Grand  par  les  Medailles,  Emblemes,  Deuises,  Jettons, 
Inscriptions,  Armoiries,  et  autres  Monumens  Publics  '  (folio, 
Paris,  1693)  is  one  of  many  such  works.     It  not  only  contains 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  253 

engravings  of  every  medal  struck  to  commemorate  the  birth, 
life,  marriage,  actions,  victories,  processions,  and  entertain- 
ments of  the  Roi-Soleil  (among  them  one  commemorating 
the  Siege  of  Londonderry  in  1689),  but  it  has  a  very  fine 
folding  plate  of  the  Place  des  Victoires  as  it  was  in  1686. 
This  engraving  not  only  shows  the  famous  monument  erected 
to  the  glory  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  destroyed  at  the  Revolution, 
but  gives  the  details  of  the  panels  and  a  very  full  description 
of  it.  Thus  we  may  have  to  hand  all  the  inscriptions, 
mottoes,  and  dates  which  were  graven  upon  that  historic 
monument. 

44.  Civilisation  mates  but  ill  with  Romance,  and  for  the 
passing  of  Superstition  (the  child  of  Imagination  and 
Romance)  none  can  shed  a  tear.     Yet  at  least 

©ccult. 

it  served  to  raise  our  daily  lives  out  of  the  rut 
of  commonplace.  Our  pulses  are  no  longer  stirred  at  the 
mere  mention  of  the  word  MAGIC,  and  even  BLACK  MAGIC  is 
coldly  discussed  where  not  so  very  long  ago  none  would  have 
dared  to  speak  it  save  with  '  bated  breath.'  Yet  we  are  all 
mystics  by  birth,  and  scarce  one  of  us  there  is  who  as  a  child 
has  not  experienced  the  fear  of  darkness.  We  cannot  explain 
it,  and  though  the  child  may  soon  be  taught  to  laugh  at  his 
fear,  yet  none  the  less  was  he  endowed  with  this  unaccount- 
able dread  of  the  UNKNOWN. 

Among  real  book-collectors  probably  this  particular  branch 
of  specialism  attracts  but  few ;  for  the  greater  part  of  those 
who  collect  such  works  are  students  of  the  occult  (whether 
serious  or  idle)  and  have  no  true  love  for  their  books  qua 
books.  Seemingly  it  is  an  absorbing  hobby,  for  those  who 
devote  their  attention  to  necromancy  soon  become  known 
among  their  friends. 

'  Philosophy  is  odious  and  obscure  ; 
Both  Law  and  Physic  are  for  petty  wits; 
Divinity  is  basest  of  the  three, 
Unpleasant,  harsh,  contemptible,  and  vile ; 
'Tis  magic,  magic,  that  hath  ravish'd  me.' 


254  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Thus  Doctor  Faustus,  the  Gamaliel  of  those  whose  study  are 
the  arcana  of  nature  and  the  world  of  shadows.  Yet  whether 
we  be  mystics  or  materialists  what  would  not  each  one  of  us 
(not  necessarily  bibliophiles)  give  to  possess  the  volume  which 
Faustus  had  at  the  hands  of  Mephistophilis  ? 

Meph.  'Hold,  take  this  book,  peruse  it  thoroughly: 

The  iterating  of  these  lines  brings  gold ; 

The  framing  of  this  circle  on  the  ground 

Brings  whirlwinds,  tempests,  thunder,  and  lightning; 

Pronounce  this  thrice  devoutly  to  thyself, 

And  men  in  armour  shall  appear  to  thee, 

Ready  to  exectite  what  thou  desir'st.' 
Faust.  '  Thanks,  Mephistophilis ;   yet  fain  would  I  have  a  book 

wherein  I  might  behold  all  spells  and  incantations,  that  I 

might  raise  up  spirits  when  I  please.' 
Meph.  '  Here  they  are  in  this  book.'     [Turns  to  them.'] 
Faust.  '  Now  would  I  have  a  book  where  I  might  see  all  characters 

and   planets  of  the   heavens,   that   I   might  know  their 

motions  and  dispositions.' 
Meph.  '  Here  they  are  too.'     \Turns  to  them.] 
Faust.  '  Nay,  let  me  have  one  book  more — and  then  I  have  done 

— wherein  I  might  see  all  plants,  herbs,  and  trees,  that 

grow  upon  the  earth.' 
Meph.  '  Here  they  be.' 
Faust.  '  Oh,  thou  art  deceived.' 
Meph.  'Tut,  I  warrant  thee.'     [Turns  to  them.] 

Truly  a  marvellous  volume.  The  astronomical  and  herbal 
portions  of  it  we  can  understand,  and  herein  doubtless  the 
'  Encyclopaedia  Britannica '  could  give  it  points,  though 
possibly  in  a  less  handy  shape.  But  even  Wecker's  '  De 
Secretis  *  fails  lamentably  when  it  comes  to  producing  whirl- 
winds or  men  in  armour.  As  it  is  to  be  presumed,  however, 
that  the  doctor  returned  the  volume  at  length  to  the  owner 
in  person,  it  is  unlikely  that  the  book-collector  will  ever  behold 
it — at  least  in  this  world. 

It  is  a  wide  subject,  this  heading  *  Occult,'  and  includes 
works  on  Alchemy,  Apparitions,  Astrology,  Cheiromancy, 
Demonology,  Devil  Lore,  Evil  Spirit  Possession,  the  Evil  Eye, 
Hermetic  Philosophy,  Magic  white  and  black.  Phrenology, 
Physiognomy,    Prophecy,    Sorcery   and    Divination,    Popular 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  255 

Superstitions,  Vampires,  and  Witchcraft.  We  can  even 
include  Conjuring !  Early-printed  books  on  all  these  subjects 
are  legion,  and  the  numerous  works  on  Lycanthropy  or  Were- 
wolves, must  also  find  a  place  under  this  heading.  Claude 
Prieur's  curious  work  is  rare  though  not  particularly  valuable  ; 
it  is  a  duodecimo  printed  at  Louvain  in  1596,  and  is  entitled 

*  Dialogue  de  la  Lycantropie  ou  transformation  d'hommes  en 
loups,  vulgairement  dit  Loups-garous  .  .  .  .'  Books  on 
Monsters  must  also  be  included  here.  Dr.  Ernest  Martin's 
'  Histoire  des  Monstres,'  octavo,  Paris,  1879,  contains  a  biblio- 
graphy of  this  curious  subject.     The  Rev.  Timothy  Harley's 

*  Moon  Lore  * — another  out-of-the-way  heading — also  contains 
twenty-five  pages  of  bibliography.     It  was  printed  in  1885. 

Savonarola's  '  Compendium  Revelationum,'  the  work  which 
probably  hastened  him  to  the  stake,  you  will  come  across 
most  easily  in  the  anonymous  '  Mirabilis  Liber,'  which 
appeared  at  Paris  first  in  1522.  This  curious  work  also 
contains  the  prophecies  of  Methodius  (Bemechobus),  the 
Sibyls,  Augustinus,  Birgitta,  Lichtenberger,  Joachim,  Antonio, 
Catherine  of  Siena,  Severus,  J.  de  Vatiguerro,  G.  Bauge,  and 
J.  de  la  Rochetaillee.  Indagine,  the  author  of  a  curious  book 
on  cheiromancy,  physiognomy,  and  astrology,  was  really 
Johann  of  Hagen,  a  German  Carthusian  who  died  in  1475. 

There  is  a  list  of  some  books  on  Witchcraft,  Demonology, 
and  Astrology  in  the  seventh  volume  of  the  '  Cambridge 
History  of  English  Literature,'  pages  503  to  511 ;  though 
curiously  it  omits  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  best-known 
works  on  demon-lore — the  '  De  Natura  Daemonum '  of 
Jean  Laurent  Anania,  a  small  octavo  produced  by  Aldus  at 
Venice  in  1589.  It  is  an  interesting  little  work  which  treats 
of  the  origin  of  demons  and  their  influence  on  men.  The  first 
volume  of  Mr.  F.  Leigh  Gardner's  valuable  '  Catalogue 
Raisonne  of  Works  on  the  Occult  Sciences  '  appeared  in 
1903.  It  contains  books  on  the  Rosicrucians.  The  second 
volume,  dealing  with  astrological  works,  was  issued  in  1911  ; 
and  the  third,  books  on  Freemasonry,  in  1912 — three  slim 


266  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

octavo  volumes.  Professor  John  Ferguson's  *  Witchcraft 
Literature  of  Scotland  '  appeared  at  Edinburgh  in  1897.  A 
scarce  anonymous  work  was  put  forth  at  London  in  1815, 
with  the  title  '  The  Lives  of  Alchemistical  Philosophers  ;  with 
a  critical  catalogue  of  books  in  occult  chemistry,  and  a 
selection  of  the  most  celebrated  treatises  on  the  theory  and 
practice  of  the  Hermetic  Art.'  It  contains  (pp.  95-112)  a  list 
of  751  alchemical  books.  J.  J.  Manget's  '  Bibliotheca  Chemica 
Curiosa,  seu  rerum  ad  Alchemiam  pertinentium  Thesaurus,' 
was  printed  in  two  folio  volumes  at  Geneva  in  1702. 

45.  The  collecting  of  Pamphlets  and  Tracts  is  an  interesting 
byway  of  book-collecting.  They  are  of  almost  every  descrip- 
pampbiets  ^^°"  under  the  sun.  Some  collectors  will  have 
an6  rractB.  thosc  that  deal  with  Parliamentary  proceedings, 
some  specialise  in  the  Marprelate  and  No  Popery  tracts,  some 
in  the  Satires  of  the  Restoration  journalists,  whilst  others  will 
gather  Pasquinades,  Mazarinades,  and  Political  pamphlets, 
as  well  as  those  that  deal  with  some  particular  social  or 
historical  event.  It  is  a  subject  that,  perhaps,  comprises  more 
grotesque  titles  than  any  heading  in  our  list.  Knox's  famous 
'  First  Blast  of  the  Trumpet  against  the  Monstrous  Regiment 
of  Women  '  must  certainly  have  been  rather  startling  to 
Queen  Bess,  and  Attersoll's  *  God's  Trumpet  sounding  the 
Alarme  '  (quarto,  1632)  is  vigorous  ;  but  the  personal  invective 
displayed  by  some  of  the  Elizabethan  and  early  Stuart 
pamphleteers  is  hard  to  beat.  *  An  Olde  Foxe  Tarred  and 
Feathered,'  '  A  New  Gag  for  an  Old  Goose,'  '  A  Whip  for  an 
Ape,'  and  '  An"  Almond  for  a  Parrat,'  are  all  curious,  but  surely 
the  palm  is  carried  by  the  following  effort  of  John  Lyiy 
(against  Martin  Marprelate),  put  forth  in  1589  : 

'  Pappe  with  an  Hatchet.  Alias  A  figge  for  my 
Godsonne.  Or  Cracke  me  this  nut.  Or  A  Countrie 
cuffe,  that  is,  a  sound  boxe  of  the  eare,  for  the 
idiot  Martin  to  hold  his  peace,  seeing  the  patch 
will  take  no  warning.  Written  by  one  that  dares 
call  a  dog,  a  dog,   and  made  to  prevent  Martin's 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  257 

dog  dales.  Imprinted  by  John  Anoke,  and  John 
Astile,  for  the  Baylive  of  Withernam,  cum  privi- 
legio  perennitatis,  and  are  to  bee  sold  at  the  signe 
of  the  crab  tree  cudgell  in  thwackcoate  lane.' 

In  1523  Richard  Bankes  printed  a  curious  little  tract  with- 
the  following  title :  '  Here  begynneth  a  lytell  newe  treatyse 
or  mater  intytuled  and  called  The  IX.  Drunkardes,  which 
treatythe  of  dyuerse  and  goodly  storyes  ryght  plesaunte  and 
frutefull  for  all  parsones  to  pastyme  with.'  I  hasten  to  add 
that  the  '  parsones  '  of  Mr.  Bankes'  day  were  not  necessarily 
in  holy  orders.  It  was  printed  in  octavo,  black  letter,  and  the- 
only  copy  that  seems  to  be  known  is  in  the  Douce  collection 
at  the  Bodleian. 

Professor  Edward  Arber's  '  Introductory  Sketch  to  the 
Martin  Marprelate  Controversy,'  which  appeared  in  1895,. 
contains  a  list  of  the  more  important  tracts  connected  with 
that  subject ;  and  you  will  find  Mr.  W.  Pierce's  '  Historical 
Introduction  to  the  Marprelate  Tracts  '  (1908)  useful.  There 
are  valuable  lists  of,  and  information  upon,  pamphlets  of  most 
descriptions  and  of  all  periods  in  the  volumes  of  the 
*  Cambridge  History  of  English  Literature.*  Mr.  A.  F. 
Pollard's  '  Tudor  Tracts,  1532-1588  '  appeared  m  1903. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  collections  of  pamphlets  ever 
formed  was  that  amassed  during  the  Commonwealth  by  an 
enterprising  London  bookseller  named  George  Thomason. 
He  succeeded  in  gathering  together*  more  than  22,000 
pamphlets  and  tracts  relating  to  the  times ;  and  being  an 
ardent  Royalist,  was  at  great  pains  to  prevent  the  collection 
from  becoming  known  to  the  authorities.  When  the  Royalist 
cause  was  scotch'd  by  the  execution  of  King  Charles,  the 
collection  was  transferred  to  Oxford,  and  lodged  in  the 
Bodleian  Library  for  safety  ;  and  although  Thomason  died 
in  1666,  his  collection  remained  at  O.xford  until  nearly  a 
century  later,  when  it  was  purchased  by  King  George  III.  for 

*  You  will  find  the  whole  tale — a  most  interesting  one — in  '  Bibliographica,'" 
vol.  iii.,  p.  291,  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  F'alconer  Madan. 


258  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

£300,  and  presented  by  him  to  the  British  Museum. 

It  is,  of  course,  quite  priceless  now,  and  contains  a  large 
number  of  tracts  not  otherwise  known.  A  catalogue  of  the 
collection  was  printed  by  the  Museum  authorities  in  1908, 
two  demy  octavo  volumes  with  the  title  :  '  A  Catalogue  of  the 
Pamphlets,  Books,  Newspapers,  and  Manuscripts  relating  to 
the  Civil  War,  the  Commonwealth,  and  Restoration,  collected 
by  G.  Thomason,  1640-1661.' 

46.  '  A  farmer  should  be  a  philosopher,'  said  Mr.  Jorrocks ; 
and  although  most  book-collectors  who  specialise  in  philo- 
sophical works  would  disclaim  any  connection 

pbilOBopbs. 

between  the  two  subjects,  yet  it  is  not  easy  to 

say  where  philosophy  either  begins  or  ends.  The  dictionaries 
are  very  cautious,  contenting  themselves  with  the  assertion 
that  any  '  application  of  pure  thought '  or  rational  explanation 
of  '  things  '  comes  under  this  heading.  Perhaps  Mr.  Jorrocks 
was  more  correct  than  most  of  his  hearers  imagined,  for 
farming  in  this  country  certainly  requires  a  deal  of  pure 
thought — if  it  is  to  be  made  to  pay.  For  our  purpose,  how- 
ever, we  will  narrow  this  heading  down  to  those  books  which 
deal  with  the  moral  aspects  of  mental  influences,  and  those 
which  centre  about  the  science  of  metaphysics. 

47.  Poetry  is  another  heading  over  which  we  need  not 
linger.     He  who  specialises  in  this  class  of  literature  may  be 

either  a  student  of  English  poesy  or  a  lover  of 
prosody.     If  the  former,  the  following  volumes 
will  be  of  assistance  to  himL 

Thomas  Warton's  *  History  of  English  Poetry '  first 
appeared  in  three  quarto  volumes  issued  between  1774  and 
1781 ;  but  a  new  edition,  edited  by  W.  C.  Hazlitt  in  four 
octavo  volumes,  was  published  in  1871.  Professor  W.  J. 
Courthope's  work  of  the  same  title  was  issued  in  six  volumes 
between  1895  and  1910;  whilst  Professor  G.  Saintsbury's 
*  History  of  English  Prosody  from  the  Twelfth  Century  to 
the  Present  Day,'  begun  in  1906,  was  completed  in  1910,  three 
octavo  volumes. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  259 

48.  Privately-printed  Books.  A  curious  byway  of  collect- 
ing, this ;  for  although  it  comprises  books  upon  every 
subject  under  the  sun,  yet  it  will  not  help  the  pri^atci?- 
collector  to  acquire  knowledge  upon  any  single  printe^. 
subject.  For  some  there  is  doubtless  a  certain  attraction 
about  books  that  have  been  put  forth  surreptitiously,  as  it 
were ;  yet  to  the  ordinary  book-collector  such  volumes  seem 
to  partake  rather  of  the  nature  of  pariahs.  They  are  among 
books,  but  not  of  them,  lacking  the  credentials  of  their 
companions.  They  are  of  three  species  only :  (1)  Personal 
Books  ;  of  interest  only  to  a  family  and  its  relations  ;  (2)  Books 
refused  by  the  publishing  houses  as  being  unlikely  to  appeal 
to  the  general  public  ;  (3)  Improper  books,  which,  if  issued 
publicly,  would  most  likely  incur  an  action  by  the  Public 
Prosecutor.  Some  years  ago  Bertram  Dobell,  a  London 
bookseller,  collected  upwards  of  a  thousand  volumes  issued  in 
this  manner,  and  published  a  catalogue  of  his  collection,  with 
interesting  notes.  This  collection  was  finally  sold  en  bloc  to 
the  Library  of  Congress  at  Washington,  U.S.A.,  in  1913. 
J.  Martin's  *  Bibliographical  Catalogue  of  Privately  Printed 
Books  '  was  published  first  in  1834,  two  volumes  ;  but  a  second 
edition  appeared  twenty  years  later. 

49.  The  collecting  of  old  School  Books  is  a  branch  of  our 

hobby    that    seldom    engages    the    bibliophile's    attention. 

Doubtless  the  recollection  of  many  painful  hours 

Scbool  3Bool!0. 
spent  m  their  company  is  responsible  for  their 

neglect.  Yet  there  is  a  charm  about  the  early-printed  Mentors 
of  our  youth  which  it  is  impossible  to  deny,  and  there  is  a 
growing  demand  for  them — as  the  booksellers  will  tell  you. 
The  number  that  has  disappeared  from  the  ken  of  biblio- 
grapher must  be  large,  for  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  more 
unpopular  type  of  book — at  least  with  those  who  are  obliged 
to  use  them ;  and  if  your  taste  has  altered  to  such  an  extent 
that  you  now  desire  them  above  all  things,  you  may  reasonably 
hope  to  unearth  many  a  curio. 

Our  earliest  printers  were  concerned  with  such  works.     In 


260  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

1483  John  Anwykyll's  Latin  Grammar  was  printed  at  Oxford, 
and  we  must  not  forget  Caxton's  '  Stans  Puer  ad  Mensam,'  put 
forth  in  1478.  Pynson  issued  a  '  Promptorium  Puerorum  sive 
Medulla  Grammaticae  '  in  1499,  and  De  Worde  printed  others. 
Most  of  the  productions  of  the  famous  St.  Albans  press  were 
school  books,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  boys  at  the  Grammar 
School  there.  Hoole's  '  New  Discovery  of  the  Old  Art  of 
Teaching  School '  is  understood  to  have  been  a  most 
unpopular  discovery  among  his  scholars.  It  was  first  printed 
at  London  in  1660,  and  was  reprinted  in  facsimile  at  the 
University  Press,  Liverpool,  in  1913.  At  the  end  of  this 
reprint  is  a  useful  bibliography  of  ancient  school  books,  from 
the  fifteenth  to  the  eighteenth  century. 

Hoole's  pupils  must  have  been  somewhat  out  of  the 
ordinary.  '  N.B.,'  he  remarks  in  '  The  Usher's  Duty,'  *  Those 
children  that  are  more  industriously  willing  to  thrive,  may 
advantage  themselves  very  much  by  perusal  of  Gerards 
Meditations,  Thomas  de  Kempis,  St.  August  ins  Soliloquies,  or 
his  Meditations,  or  the  like  pious  and  profitable  Books,  which 
they  may  buy  both  in  English  and  Latine,  and  continually 
bear  about  in  their  pockets,  to  read  on  at  spare  times.'  Upon 
enquiry  at  one  of  our  larger  public  schools,  however,  I  find 
that  the  number  of  children — even  those  who  are  more 
industriously  willing  to  thrive — who  advantage  themselves  by 
continually  bearing  these  pious  books  in  their  pockets  is 
not  large. 

50.  The    next    heading    in   our   list.    Sports,    Games,    and 

Pastimes,  naturally  comprises  a  large  number  of  sub-headings. 

The  term  '  sport '  may  be  confined*  conveniently 

to  those  subjects  which  have  to  do  with  animals, 

such     as     Angling,      Coaching,      Cock-fighting,      Coursing, 


•  Lord  Lovat's  definition  of  '  Sport '  was  as  follows  :  '  Sport  is  the  fair, 
difficult,  exciting,  perhaps  dangerous  pursuit  of  a  wild  animal  that  has  the 
odds  in  its  favour,  whose  courage,  speed,  strength  and  cunning  are  more  or 
less  a  match  for  our  own,  and  whose  death,  being  of  service,  is  justifiable.' 
But  this  seems  to  apply  more  to  hunting  than  anything  else ;  it  certainly 
precludes  coaching,  cock-fighting,   racing,   and  steeplechasing. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  261 

Falconry,  Hunting,  Horses,  Racing,  Steeplechasing,  and 
Shooting.  Other  subjects,  chiefly  of  an  outdoor  nature,  may 
be  classed  as  Pastimes,  such  as  Archery,  Boxing,  Fencing, 
Mountaineering,  Skating,  and  Yachting.  Then  there  are  the 
diversions  of  short  duration  governed  by  rules,  which  we 
call  games,  such  as  Cricket,  Curling,  Bowls,  Football,  Cards, 
Chess,  etc.  There  are  bibliographies  of  almost  all  these, 
which  you  will  find  in  Mr.  Courtney's  work.  If  you  are  fond 
of  hunting  you  will  enjoy  Mr.  Baillie-Grohman's  edition  of 
the  famous  '  Livre  de  Chasse  '  of  Gaston  Phoebus,  Comte  de 
Foix.  It  was  translated  into  English  by  Edward,  Duke  of 
York,  between  1406  and  1413,  under  the  title  '  The  Master 
of  Game  ' ;  and  to  this  reprint  of  1909  is  added  a  list  of  old 
hunting  books,  and  a  valuable  glossary  of  ancient  hunting 
terms  and  phrases.  *  La  Chasse  de  Loup,'  a  small  quarto 
printed  at  Paris  in  1576,  is  a  scarce  work.  It  consists  of  but 
22  folios,  and  has  14  large  woodcuts,  and  it  is  by  Jean  de 
Glamorgan,  Seigneur  de  Saane.  But  you  will  find  this  treatise 
in  La  Maison  Rustique. 

Books  on  cock-fighting  are  not  very  numerous,  nor  of 
frequent  occurrence.  A  number  of  such  works  are  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Harrison  Weir  in  that  part  of  '  Our  Poultry  '  which 
deals  with  game-fowl.  '  The  Royal  Pastime  of  Cockfighting,* 
by  R.  H.  {i.e.  Robert  Howlet),  a  duodecimo  printed  at  London 
in  1709,  is  now  very  scarce  and  valuable  ;  but  a  facsimile 
reprint  (100  copies)  was  issued  in  1899.  '  The  Cocker,'  by 
'  W.  Sketchly,  gent.,'  is  of  fairly  frequent  appearance,  though 
a  copy  will  cost  you  four  or  five  pounds.  But  it  has  been 
reprinted  at  least  twice.  A  small  volume  entitled  '  Cocking 
and  its  Votaries  '  by  S.  A.  T[aylor]  was  put  forth  in  1880, 
but  our  book-hunter  has  not  yet  been  so  fortunate  as  to  come 
across  a  copy.*  It  was,  I  believe,  privately  printed.  Old 
Roger  Ascham  was  a  keen  devotee  of  this  sport,  and  wrote  a 
volume  entitled  *  The  Book  of  the  Cockpit '  ;   but  no  copy 

*  The  copy  in  the  Pittar  sale  at  Sotheby's  in  November   1918  was  extra- 
illustrated  and  finely  bound.     It  fetched  £9,   15s. 


262  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

of  this  work  is  known  (at  least  to  bibliographers)  to  exist  at 
the  present  day.  '  But  of  all  kinds  of  pastimes  fit  for  a 
Gentleman,'  he  writes  in  '  The  Scholemaster,'  '  I  will,  God 
willing,  in  a  fitter  place  more  at  large  declare  fully,  in  my 
Book  of  the  Cockpit ;  which  I  do  write  to  satisfy  some.'  From 
which  it  seems  that  he  was  actually  engaged  upon  the  book. 
Apparently  there  is  no  record  of  its  publication,  though  an 
old  devotee  of  the  sport  once  told  Mr.  Harrison  Weir  that  he 
had  seen  a  copy.  '  The  Commendation  of  Cockes  and  Cock- 
fighting  ;  Wherein  is  shewed,  that  Cocke-fighting  was  before 
the  comming  of  Christ,'  by  George  Wilson,  the  sporting  Vicar 
of  Wretton,  was  printed  in  black  letter  by  Henry  Tomes 
*  over  against  Graies  Inne  Gate,  in  Holbourne,'  in  1607.  I 
wish  you  luck,  brother  collector,  but  I  cannot  be  sanguine 
that  you  will  ever  come  across  a  copy  though  it  was  many 
times  reprinted.     The  tenth  edition  is  dated  1655. 

Under  this  heading  also  are  included  books  on  Dogs,  Cats 
and  Bees  (!)  though  the  inclusion  of  the  latter  reminds  one 
of  the  story  of  the  imported  tortoise,  which  the  customs  officials 
(after  much  debate)  decided  was  an  insect,  and  therefore  not 
hable  to  quarantine!  Then  there  are  books  of  sporting 
memoirs,  sporting  dictionaries,  sport  in  particular  countries, 
as  well  as  works  which  treat  of  Maypoles  and  Mumming, 
Festivals,  and  old  English  pastimes. 

Books  upon  Dancing,  Cards,  Chess,  and  other  games  all 
have  their  devotees.  '  A  Bibliography  of  Works  in  English 
on  Playing  Cards  and  Gaming,'  by  Mr.  Frederic  Jessel, 
appeared  in  1905,  octavo.  The  library  of  M.  Preti  of  Paris, 
a  well-known  chess-player  who  devoted  his  attention  to  the 
history  of  the  game,  was  sold  at  Sotheby's  early  in  1909.  It 
included  362  lots,  comprising  some  1600  volumes ;  but  the 
entire  collection  realised  only  £355.  The  sale  catalogue  is  a 
useful  one — if  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  come  across  it.  But 
there  is  a  numerous  bibliography  and  you  will  find  a  list  of 
such  volumes  in  Mr.  W.  P.  Courtney's  *  Register  of  National 
Bibliography.' 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  263 

51.  Theology  and  the  Lives  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Early 

Christian  Church  is  a  field  of  such  magnitude  that  we  may 

divide  it  conveniently  into  periods  or  countries 

'Cbcolo^f. 

or  controversies.  Books  on  the  Council  of  Trent 
engage  the  attentions  of  some,  others  are  attracted  by  the 
history  of  the  Waldenses  or  the  Byzantine  Churches.  Some 
again  specialise  in  the  writings  of  certain  great  characters, 
such  as  Bonaventura,  Augustine,  or  Era.smus.  A  '  Bibliotheca 
Erasmiana,  ou  Repertoire  des  CEuvres  d'Erasme  '  appeared 
at  Ghent  in  1893  and  was  followed  four  years  later  by  a  new 
edition.  Similarly  there  are  now  accounts  of  the  writings  of 
almost  all  the  great  Churchmen,  such  as  Cranmer,  Latimer, 
Tindale,  Laud,  Ken,  etc.  The  only  bibliography  of  Knox 
with  which  I  am  acquainted  is  that  appended  to  the  six 
volumes  of  Laing's  edition  of  his  works,  published  at  Edin- 
burgh 1846-64. 

52.  Tobacco  is  a  cheery  subject  for  the  book-collector, 
and  somehow  the  very  word  conjures  up  a  vision  of  warmth 
and  comfort. 

'  My  pipe  is  lit,  my  grog  is  mix'd, 
My  curtains   drawn   and   all   is   snug ; 
Old  Puss  is  in  her  elbow-chair, 
And  Tray  is  sitting  on  the  rug.' 

What  book-collector,  I  do  not  mean  book-speculator,  does 
not  smoke  a  pipe?  I  refuse  to  believe  that  any  book-lover 
could  possibly  sit  in  an  easy  chair  before  the  fire 
and  pore  over  Browne's  '  Hydriotaphia,'  Sidney's 
'  Arcadia,'  More's  '  Utopia,'  or  Cotton's  '  Montluc  '  (all  in 
folio,  please)  without  a  pipe  in  his  mouth.  Why,  it  is  unthink- 
able. Yet  the  books  which  treat  of  tobacco  are  not  all  couched 
in  that  tranquil  tone  which  is  induced  by  the  soothing  weed. 
*  The  whole  output  of  literature  on  tobacco,'  writes  Professor 
Routh,  '  is  eminently  characteristic  of  the  age  in  its  elaborate 
titles,  far-fetched  conceits,  and  bitter  invective.  The  spirit  of 
criticism  is  so  strong  that  even  the  partisans  of  the  weed 
satirise  the  habits  of  the  smoker.'  King  James's  '  Counter 
Blaste  to  Tobacco,'  first  issued  in  1604,  Braithwaite's  '  The 


264  The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 

Smoaking  Age,'  1617,  and  Barclay's  '  Nepenthes,  or,  the 
Vertues  of  Tobacco,'  1614,  have  all  been  reprinted  of  late 
years.  Bragge's  '  Bibliotheca  Nicotiana  '  was  printed  at 
Birmingham  in  1880. 

53.  Topography  and  County  Histories  need  not  detain  us. 

Anderson's  '  Book  of  British  Topography  '  is  a  Hst  of  County 

Histories,  etc.,  that  had  appeared  up  to  1881 ; 
TTopoflrapbt!.       ^^^    ^^     ^     ^     Humphrey's    'Handbook    to 

County  Bibliography  '  amplifies  and  carries  the  record  down 
to  1917.  With  this  heading  we  can  include  the  collection  of 
Atlases  and  Maps.  Sir  H.  G.  Fordham's  '  Studies  in  Carto- 
Bibliography,  British  and  French,  and  in  the  Bibliography  of 
Itineraries  and  Road  Books  '  contains  a  useful  bibliography 
of  this  subject.  It  was  published  by  the  Clarendon  Press 
in  1914. 

54.  Books  on  Trades  should  form  an  interesting  series  for 
the  collector.     Works  on  *  Dialling '  and  Clock-making  are 

frequent  enough,  but  I  do  not  remember  to  have 
come  across  very  many  books  which  treat  of  the 
locksmith's  art  or  coach-making,  though  such  volumes  appear 
from  time  to  time  in  the  catalogues.  There  must  be  treatises 
on  almost  every  trade  under  the  sun ;  our  book-hunter 
possesses  a  small  volume  which  deals  with  the  making  of 
sealing-wax  and  wafers.  Old  treatises  on  brewing  must  be 
plentiful,  as  doubtless  are  volumes  on  all  the  larger  and  more 
important  industries ;  but  are  there  manuals  for  the  loriner, 
the  patten-maker,  the  umbrella-manufacturer?  Doubtless 
there  are,  though  they  must  be  few  in  number,  and  scarce  too, 
since  those  for  whom  they  were  intended  probably  would  not 
be  the  best  preservers  of  books.  Only  about  a  century  ago 
a  small  manual  was  put  forth  for  the  use  of  those  whose 
business  was  the  heraldic  decoration  of  carriage-panels.  It 
was  very  popular  in  the  trade,  but  is  now  scarcely  to  be  had, 
and  when  found  is  invariably  filthy  and  dilapidated.  Like  the 
little  '  Pastissier  Francois,'  such  practical  treatises  soon  go 
the  way  of  all  superseded  books. 


A  Plea  for  Specialism  265 

55  and  56.  Travel  books  and  Voyages  have  already  been 
discussed  under  the  heading  *  Foreign  Parts  ' — the  first 
subject  with  which  I  have  dealt  in  detail.  Most  ^„,jij  ,„j 
globe-trotters  nowadays  are  members  of  the  voiaget. 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  the  Library  Catalogue  of 
that  institution  is  a  valuable  one  for  reference.  It  was  printed 
in  1895,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  H.  R.  Mill. 

And  so  I  bid  you  farewell,  brother  book-hunter.  There  is 
no  subject  with  which  I  have  dealt  but  could  have  had  a 
volume  to  itself :  my  aim  throughout  has  been  to  strike  the 
happy  medium  between  a  tedious  list  of  titles  and  editions 
and  a  description  too  brief  to  be  of  interest.  Thank  you  for 
your  patience  and  sympathy  (of  the  latter  indeed  I  was 
assured  at  the  outset,  for  we  book-hunters  are  a  class  that 
knows  no  other  feeling  when  reading  about  our  beloved 
books),  and  allow  me  to  express  the  sincere  wish  that  good 
fortune  may  attend  you  on  your  expeditions.  May  your 
*  finds  '  be  frequent,  cheap,  clean,  tall,  perfect,  and  broad  of 
margin,  and  may  you  never  suffer  from  borrowers,  book- 
worms, acid-tanned  leathers,  clumsy  letterers  and  insecure 
shelf-fastenings.  May  good  scribbling  paper,  sharp  pencils, 
uncrossed  nibs,  clean  ink  and  blotting-paper  be  ever  at  your 
hand,  and  may  your  days  be  passed  in  wholesome  leisure,  in 
the  divine  fellowship  of  books.     Vale. 


The  End. 


IN  DEX 


Achademios,   Skelton's,  11. 
Aeschylus,   translations   of,   71. 
Aesop,  the  Fabulous  Tales  of,  12 
Aethiopica,    the,   86. 
Africa,  books  on,  206,  209. 
Agincourt  Expedition,  the,  50. 
Agriculture,  books  on,  238 
A  Kempis,  Thomas,  217. 
Alaric's  grave,  104. 
Alchemy,  books  on,  245,  256. 
Alfred,  king,  101. 

his  tomb,  104. 

Allibone's  Critical  Dictionary,  163. 

Americana,  210. 

Ames'     Typographical     Antiquities, 

7,  8,  169. 
Amyot,   pere,   86. 
Ancillon,  Charles,  81. 
Andrada,  Tomaso  de,  155. 
Anjou,  Rene  due  d',  87. 
Antiphonaries,  Spanish,  129. 
Aquinas,  Thomas,  37. 
Arabian  Nights,  the,  77. 
Arber's  Term  Catalogues,  162. 
Architecture,  books  on,  211. 
Arctic  and  Antarctic,   books  on, 

206. 
Aristophanes,   translations  of,  71. 
Armorial   bindings,    115   n. 
Arthur,   King,  his  character,  89. 
Ascham,      Roger,      on      books      of 

Chivalry,  87. 

on  Cambridge,  38. 

his  Book  of  the  Cockpit,  262. 

Association  books,  172. 
Astrology,   books  on,   253-256. 
Astronomy,  books  on,  244. 
Attic  Theatre,   the,   73 


Auctions,  the  history  of  book-,  187. 

Auction  Records,  Book-,  191. 

Augustine,  St.,  on  Varro,  154. 

Austen,   Jane,   her   Mansfield  Park, 
113. 

on  novels,   63. 

Australia,  books  on,  207. 

Aymon,  the  Four  Sons  of,  14,  15. 

Balin  and  Balan,  95. 
Ballads,  220. 

Ballatis,  Gude  and  Godlie,  13. 
Bankes's   IX.    Drunkardes,   257. 
Barbarv,   books  on,  209-210. 
Barbier's  Ouvrages  Anonymes,  169 
Barbier,    Louis,   154. 
Barclay's  Euphormionis,  11. 
Barocci,  Giacomo,  his  library,  181. 
Barrow,  a  desecrated,  103. 
Barton,  Elizabeth,  her  book,  13. 
Basse,  Nicholas  of  Frankfort,  178. 
Beckmann,    Johann,    on    catalogues, 

176-178,  180,  188. 
Belvedere,  motto  at,  38  n. 
Bernard,  Dr.   Francis,  13  n. 
Bewick,  books  on,   168. 
Bibles,  212. 
Bibliographica,    167. 
Bibliographies  of  Bibliographies,  170. 

some  early,  154-156. 

Bibliography,  150-156,  160-170. 
compiling  a,  151-153,  156. 

examples   of   great   industry    in, 

154. 

the   objects   of,    150. 

Bibliography,         Mr.         Courtney's 
Register  of  National,  170,  '205. 

Growoll's  English  Book  Trade, 

181. 


268 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 


Bigmore  and  Wyman's  Bibliography 

of  Printing,  167. 
Bill,  John,  181. 
Binding,  see  Bookbinding. 
Biographies,  213. 

Dictionaries  of,  217. 

Bishop,  a  Tudor,  his  town  house,  19. 
Black  Prince,   the,  90,  92. 

his  household  book,   18. 

Blackie,  Professor,  quoted,  59. 
Blades'  Life  of  Caxton,  165. 
Blagrave's  Manor-house,   244   n. 
Block-Books,   Sotheby   on,   166. 
Boccaccio,  on  translating,  73. 
Bonaventura,  37. 
Book-Auction  Records,  191. 

Book  of  Curtesye,  the  223. 
Book  of  Good  Manners,  the,  14. 
Bookhunter,  Burton's,  21. 
Book-Prices  Current,  191. 

Books  Printed  Abroad,  English, 
242. 

Books,  the  care  of,  126. 

the  charm  of  old,  106-108. 

cleaning,    145-149. 

English   printed  abroad,  242. 

the  five  classes  of,  120-122. 

imperfect,  112,  116-120. 

lost,  10-21. 

repairing,   see   Bookbinding. 

travel  far  afield,  17. 

Bookbinders,  London,  139. 
Bookbinding,  135-140. 

books  on,  135,  136. 

leathers,   137,   138. 

prescription  for,  137,  139-140. 

Bookbindings,  Armorial,  115  n. 

collecting,  203. 

old,  their  value,  113-115. 

paper,  116,   141-145. 

polishing  old,   141. 

preservative  for,  141. 

repairing,   109-115,   141-145. 

Bookcases,  128-134. 


Book-collectors,  the  Doctor,  42. 

the  Genealogist,  40-42. 

the  Sailor,  43. 

the  Soldier,  49. 

the  Traveller,  44-48. 

Bookplates,  works  on,  115  n. 
Booksellers,  books  upon,  182  n. 

Mr.  McKerrow's  Dictionary  of, 

183. 

Bookshelves,   making,   128-134. 

staining,  131,  132. 

Botany,    early,   245-247. 
Boucicault,    Marshal  Jean,  213-214. 
Bouillon,  Godfrey  de,  89. 
Bourchier,  Sir  Henry,  181. 

Box,  an  old,  18. 

British    Museum   Catalogue,    163. 

talking   in   the    Reading 

Room  of  the,  34. 
Brittany,   old   books   in,   28. 

old  hostel  in,  29. 

Britwell  Court  Library,  210. 
Broadsides,    220,   228. 
Browne,  Sir  Thomas,  52. 

quoted,    104,   233. 

Bruce,   King  Robert,  93. 
Brunet,  J.  C,  22. 

his  Manuel  de  Libraire,   163. 

Brydges'  British  Bibliographer,  162. 
Buckram  for  shelves,  132. 
Bunyan's  Pilgrim'' s  Progress,  66. 
Burney,   Admiral  James,  208. 
Burns'  Poems,  value  of,  190. 

a  unique  copy  of,  173 

Burton,  John  Hill,  quoted,  59. 

his  Bookhunter,  21. 

Burton's  Arabian  Nights,  78  n. 
Bury,  Richard  of,  quoted,  65. 
Byron's  English  Bards,  190. 

Poems,  189. 

Byron,  J.,  Wreck  of  the  Wager,  47. 

Ccesar,  the  Elzevier,  21-22,  24. 
Calderon,  translations  of,  73. 


Index 


269 


Cambridge  and  Roger  Ascham,  38. 

books,  Mr.  Sayle  on,  165. 

Camelot,  95,  97,  98. 
Campbell,  Thomas,  quoted,  47. 
Cakd  Games,  books  on,  262. 
Castiglione,   Baldassare,  19. 
Cataloguer,  an  Abbey,  54. 
Catalogues,  bound  at  the  end  of 

books,  183-187. 

early  booksellers',  174-181. 

a  Restoration  one,  184. 

of  Nicholas  Bass6,  178. 

John  Bill,  181. 

Johan   Class,  180. 

George  Draud,  180. 

William  Jaggard,   181. 

Andrew  Maunsell,  181. 

Sweynheim     and     Pannartz, 

179. 

Christian  Wechel,  178. 

Caxton,   his  advertisement,   175. 

binding  by,  20. 

book  by,  20. 

his  Book  of  Good  Manners,  14, 

223. 

on  Chivalry,  quoted,  90. 

his  Four  Sons  of  Aymon,   14, 

15. 

The  Life  of,  by  Blades,  165. 

a  lost  book  by,  11. 

and  Malory,  98,  99. 

his  Metamorphoses  of  Ovid,  11. 

on  rebinding  a,   114. 

his  Recueil  des  Histoires,  99. 

his  Speculum,  14. 

Cervantes'  Don  Quixote,  66,  74. 
'  Chafynghowys,'  the,  34. 
Chance,  201. 

Chapbooks,   220,   228. 
Charlemagne,  a  story  of,  196. 
Chasse  de  Loup,  La,  261. 
Chaucer,  quotations  from,  1,  56,  94. 
Cheke,  Sir  John,  132. 
Chess,  books  on,  262. 


Chivalry,  books  on,  234. 

a  collector  of  books  on,  200. 

England  the  home  of,  92. 

romances  of,  86-90,  227,  228. 

and  '  Sport,'   91. 

Chronograms,   Hilton's,   168. 
Civil  War,  books  on  the,  221. 
Classics,  the,  61,  70-73. 

collecting  the,  222. 

Claudin,  M.  Anatole,  works  by,  166. 
Cleaning  books,  145-149. 
Clement's  Bibliothique  Curieuse,  164. 
Clerkenwell,  books  bought  in,  3,  18. 
Cless,  Johan  of  Frankfort,  180. 
CocKFiGHTiNG,  books  On,  261. 
Collating,  119,  152-153. 
Collectors,  see  Book-collectors. 
Collins,   William,   of  Chichester,  11, 
12. 

Colombi^re,  La,  books  by,  235-6. 

Commonplace  Books,  54-57. 

Commonwtealth,  books  on  the,  221. 

Companions  to  Greek  and  Latin 
Studies,   73. 

Conon,   lost  books  by,  55. 

Cook,   Captain,   207-208. 

Cookery  Books,  222. 

Cooper's  Thesaurus,  226. 

Coronation  Books,  235. 

Cortigiano,  11,  19  n. 

Corvinus,  Matthias,  86. 

Costume,  books  on,  224. 

Cotton,  Sir  Robert,  his  library,  133. 

Cotton's  Typographical  Gazetteer, 
168. 

Courtney's  Register  of  National 
Bibliography,   170,  205. 

Crabbe,  quotation  from,  31. 

Cranmer  on  the  Maid  of  Kent,  13. 

Crawford,  the  Earl  of,  his  Biblio- 
theca  Lindesiana,  220,  221. 

Crimes,  books  on,  225. 

Croix  du  Maine,  F.  de  la,  155. 

Croker's  French  Revolution  collec- 
tions, 233. 


270 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 


Cromwell,    Thomas,    15,    19. 

CuRiosA,  228. 

Curll,  Edmund,  185-6. 

his  edition  of  Prior,  9,  10. 

Curtesye,  the  Book  of,'22Z. 

Dante,  translations  of,  75. 
David's  book-stall,  3. 
Defence  of  Women,  the,  16. 
De  Gloria  et  Nobilitale,  4. 
Demonology,  books  on,  255. 
De  Re  Heraldica,  8. 
Despeisses,  Anthony,  51. 
De  Studio   MilUari,  5-8. 
Dibdin's  works,  169. 
Dictionaries,  226. 
Digressions,  51-54. 
Disraeli,   Isaac,   quoted,  37. 
Don,   story  of  a,   79. 
Don  Quixote,  66,  74. 
Drama,  books  on  the,  226. 
Draud,  George  of  Frankfort,  180. 
Dress,  books  on,  224. 
Drinking-horns,    102. 
Dryden's  Aeneid,  72. 
Duelling,  books  on,  248. 
Duff,  Mr.  E.  G.,  books  by,  161,  166, 
183,  242. 

quoted,  12,  13,  14,  16. 

Du  Fresnoy,  Lenglet,  108. 

Du  Guesclin,  Bertrand,  92,  216  n. 
Dumas,  Alexandre,  22-24. 

Ealc,  the,  250-1. 
Early-Printed  Books,  227. 
authorities     on,    164- 

166. 
Early  Romances,  227. 
Ebrietatis  Encomium,   186. 
Editions  good  and  bad,  69-70. 
Elks,  the  Hercynian,  250. 
Elzeviers,  21  seq.,  187. 
Engravers         and         Engraving, 

authorities  on,  167. 
books  on,  240. 


Entomology,  books  on,  251. 
Epiccene  or  the  Silent  Woman,  13. 
Epitaph  of  the  King  of  Scotland, 

the,  11. 
Errata,  on,  170-1. 
Este,   Alfonso  d',  38  n. 
Euphormionis  Lusinini  Sat.,  11. 
Etymologies,  226. 
Euripides,  translations  of,  71. 

EXTRA-ILLUSTRAllNG,    125. 

Fabert,  Abraham,  182. 
Fabulous  Tales  of  Esope,  12. 
Faceti.«,  228. 
Farringdon  Road,  the,  18. 
Faust,   translations  of,   75. 
Faustus  his  book,  254. 
Fenn,  Sir  John,  20. 
Fetherstone,  Henry,  181. 
Fitzgerald's  Polonius,   192. 

translations,   73. 

Flore  et   Zephyr,   189. 
Forgeries,  book,  118-120. 
Four  Sons  of  Aymon,  the  14,  15. 
Freemasonry,  books  on,  232,  255. 
French  Revolution,  the,  82,  233. 

Croker's     Collections     on 

the,  233. 

Gairdner,    James,    quoted,    20. 
Gardens,  books  on,  233. 
Gavaudan,  quoted,  88. 
Genealogist,  the,  40-42. 
Genealogy,  books  on,  234. 
Geology,  books  on,  251. 
Gibbon,  Edward,  81. 
Gipsies,  book  on,  229. 
Giunta  Terence,  a,  3-4. 
Goeree,   William,   182. 
Goethe,  translations  of,  75. 
Golden  Legend,  the,  217. 
Goste  of  Guido,  the,  11. 
Graesse's     Tresor    de    Livres    Rares, 
164. 


Index 


271 


Grail,  the  Holy,  89,  93,  97. 

appears    to    the    Knights, 

99,  100. 
Grangerisixg,  122-125. 
Graves,   the  desecration  of,   103-105. 
Greek,  aids  to  reading,  72,  73. 

Incunabula,    166. 

theatre,  73. 

GtowoH's  Book-Trade  Bibliography, 

181. 
Grude,  Francois,  155. 

Hain's  Repertorium,  164. 
Hamerton,   P.    G.,   on  Interruptions, 
33. 

on    reading    the    classics,    62. 

Harrison,   Mr.   Frederic,  on  reading, 

59,   60,   67,   79. 

on  the  classics,  72. 

The  Choice  of  Books,  72. 

Hazlitt,  W.  C,  on  lost  books,  12,  14. 

his  Bibliographical  Collection';, 

161-2. 

Health,  books  on  preserving,  224. 

Heine,  translations  of,  76. 

Heinz,   quoted,   31. 

Heliodorus,    84. 

Henry   vn.    and   Winchester,    98. 

Heraldry,  books  on,  234. 

Herbals,  245-247. 

Herbert,  George,  his  Jacula  Pru- 
dentum,  56. 

Herbert,  Sir  Henry,  Office  Book  of, 
227. 

Herbert,  William,  lost  books  de- 
scribed by,  12. 

Hilton's  Chronograms,  168. 

Hinard,  Damas,  74. 

Historic  of  Judith,   the,   11. 

History,  books  on,  237. 

Hoccleve,  90. 

Homer,  translations  of,  71-2. 

Hoole's  A'ew  Discovery,  260 ;  his 
pupils,  ib. 

Horace,    on   translating,   72. 


Hospitallers,  200,  214. 

Hotel  du  Lion  d'Or,  29. 

Housewife,  the  perfect,  239, 

Hozier,  Pierre  d',  40. 

Humphrey,  Lawrence,  4. 

Humphreys,   Mr.  A.   L.,  quoted,  67, 
69. 

Husbandry,  books  on,  238. 
Hyde  Abbey,  104. 
Hyeres,  the  monk  illuminator  at,  37 
Hygiasticon,  224. 

Illuminator  of  St.   Honorat,  the,  37. 
Illuminators,   the   Winchester,   101-2. 
Illustrated  Books,  240. 
Imitatio   Christi,   217. 
Incunabula,  definition  of,  167  n. 

see  Early-Printed  Books. 

Interruptions,    33-35. 

Jacula  Prudentum,  56. 
Jaggard,  William,  181. 
Jail,  the,  250-1. 
Jest  Books,  228. 

some  early,  16. 

Jonson,   Ben,   lost  works  of,   13. 
Judith,  the  Famous  Historic  of,  11. 

Karslake's  Notes  from  Sotheby's,  162. 

Keats'  Endymion,   113. 

Keeper    of    the    Abbev    muniments„ 

54n. 
Kempis,  Thomas  a,  217. 
Kennet,  Bishop  White,  210. 
King  Glumpus,  189. 
Koberger,  Anton,  176. 

L'Abbe's  Bihliothcca,  155. 

La  Colombiere,  books  by,  235-6. 

La  Fontaine,  Jean  de,  39. 

La  Marche,  Olivier  de,  215. 

La  Monnoye,  Bernard  de,  154. 

Lang,   Andrew,  on   Elzeviers,  21. 

his  imperfect  books,  112. 

Large  Copper,  story  of  a,  116-117. 


272 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 


Large  Paper  copies,   203. 
Law,  books  on,  240. 
Lawler's  Book-Auctions,  187. 
Lesclarcissement       de       la       Langue 

Francoyse,  15. 
Library,  the,  by  A.  Lang,  21. 
Library,   '  laying  down  a,'  230. 
Libraries,   two  old  country,   19-20. 
Lion  d'Or,  the,  29. 
Liturgies,  books  on,  241. 
Locally-Printed  Books,  241. 
London,  books  hidden  in,  18. 
Londonderry,  medal  of  the  siege  of, 

253. 
Long  Meg  of  Westminster,  16. 
Lost  books,  10-21. 
Louis  IX  (St.)  and  the  Saracens,  90. 
Louis  XIV.,  his  monument,  253. 
Louvre  library,  the,  134. 
Lovelace's  Lucasta,   120. 
Lowndes'    Bibliographer's    Manual, 

161. 
Lycanthropy,  books  on,  255. 

Mackenzie,  Sir  G.,  quoted,  192. 
Magic,  books  on,  253-6. 
Maid  of  Kent,  the,   13. 
Maimbourg,  Louis,  186. 
Malory,  Sir  Thomas,  95-99. 

his    Morte    d' Arthur,    13,    88, 

95-101. 

and  Caxton,  98,  99. 

Malta,  the   Knights  of,  200-1,   214. 
Manners,  books  on,  223. 
Manners,  the  Book  of  Good,  14. 
Mansfield  Park,  113. 
Margaret  of  Scotland,  17. 
Markham's  housewife,  239. 

Thyrsis  and  Daphne,  13. 

Mariner's   Mirror,   the,  252. 
Marmol,  Luis  del,  209-210. 
Marprelate  Tracts,  256. 
Mathematics,  books  on,  243. 
Masques,  books  on,  226,  232. 
Maunsell,  Andrew,  181. 


Medical  Books,  245. 

a  collector  of,  42. 

Meg  of  Westminster,  16. 
Melanchthon,  Philip,  59. 
Memoirs,  213. 

Menestrier's  Louis  le  Grand,  252. 
Military  Books,  247. 
Milton,  quotations  from,  88,  94,  95, 
105,  127,  193. 

his  Comus,  191. 

Minstrels,  books  on,  232. 
Miracle  Plays,  books  on,  232. 
Modern   Authors,    valuable   works 

of,  188-193. 

bibliographies  of,  231-2. 

Monastic  rules,  34. 
Monsters,  books  on,  255. 
Montluc,    Blaise   de,    110-111. 
Montmorency,   Henri,   due  de,  215. 
Moon  Lore,  255. 
Moralities,  books  on,  232. 
More's  Defence  of  Women,  18. 
Morte   d' Arthur,    see   Malory. 
Mouse,  the  painted,  196. 
Music,  books  on,  248. 
Myriobiblon,  55. 
Mysteries,  books  on,  232. 

Napoleon,  books  on,  249-250. 
Natural  History,  books  on,  250. 
Nautical  Books,  251. 
Neuf   Preux,   le   Triomphe  des,   89, 

216,  228. 
New  England  Canaan,  211. 
Newspapers,    on   reading,    64. 
Newton,  Sir  I.,  bibliography  of,  244. 
Nightingale,    Miss,    on   interruptions, 

33. 
Night  working,  35. 
Nigramansir,  the,  11. 
Normandy,   Robert  of,  201. 
Notes,    editors',    70. 
Novels,    on   reading,   63. 

the  first,  84-85. 

NcMiSMATics,  books  on,  252. 


Index 


273 


Occleve,  90. 

Occult,  books  on  the,  253. 

Olaf,   King,   201. 

Optimates,   by   L.    Humphrey,   4. 

Ordnance,    mediaeval,   49. 

Original     Poetry     by     Victor     and 

Cazire,   190. 
Ormsby,  John,  on  romances,  86. 
Osorio's  De  Gloria,  4. 
Ovid's    Metamorphoses,    by    Caxton, 

11. 
Oxford   Books,   by    Mr.    F.    Madan, 

165. 

Pageants,  books  on,  226. 
Painted  Mouse,  a,  196. 
Palmerin  d'Olive,  205. 
Palsgrave,   John,    15. 
Pamphlets  and  Tracts,  256. 
Panzer's  Annalen,  165. 
Pappe  with  an  Hatchet,  256. 
Passionate  Pilgrim,  the,   10. 
Paslissier  Francois,  le,  21-28. 

prices  of,  21,  24,  25. 

Paston  Letters,  the,  20. 

Pedigree  hunting,  40. 

'Pegs,'  102. 

Perceforest,      quotation      from,      92. 

description  of,  93  n. 

'  Peregrine  '    volumes,   242. 

Peron,  the,  95-97. 

Philosophy,  books  on,  258. 

Photius,  55. 

Pilgrim's  Progress,  the,  66. 

Pinson,    Gheerart,    243 

Place    des    Victoires,    monument    iji 

the,  253. 
Plays,   books  on  old,  226. 
Pliny  on  Seclusion,  36. 
Poetry,  258. 
Poems  by  Two  Brothers,  189. 

on   Various  Occasions,  189. 

Pollard,     Mr.     A.     W.'s     Fifteenth- 
Century  Books,   165-6. 

Pollio,  Asinius,  133. 


Pope  on  Curll,  185. 

quotation   from,   68. 

Portugal,  a  convent  in,  17. 
Prayer  Books,  works  on,  241. 
Precentor,  the,  33  n. 
Prescriptions,  some  early,  246. 
Presses,   celebrated,   219. 
Prices  of  Books,  189-192,  227-8. 

some   early,   179. 

on  determining,  171-173. 

Prices  of  Books,  Wheatley's,  173-4. 
Printers'  marks,  books  on,  169-170. 
Printers,      Mr.      McKerrow's      Die- 

tionary  of,  183. 
Prior,  his  pirated  Poems,  9,  10. 
Prisons,  books  on,  225. 

Privately-printed    Books,    203-4, 
259. 

Proclamations,  221. 
Proctor's  Early  Printed  Books,  165. 
Prophecies,  a  book  of,  255. 
Provence,  a  monk  of,  37. 
Pseudonyms,  books  on,  168. 
Pynson,  Richard,  11,  14,  15. 

Quaritch's   General  Catalogue,  162. 
Querard's    Supercheries    Liiteraires,. 

169. 
Quotations,    doubtful    origin    of,    56,. 

57. 

wrongly  assigned,  57  n. 

Rabelais,  translations  of,  76. 

Racine  and  Heliodorus,  86. 

Rainman,  John,   177. 

Ratdolt,  Erhart,   176. 

Reading,  the  art  of,  59-70,  78,  81-83. 

wide,  79-81. 

Rebellion  Tracts,  221,  222. 

Rebinding,   109-116. 

Recommending  books,  59. 

Regnault,  Francois,  181. 

Ren6  d'Anjou,  87. 

Revolution,  the  French,  82,  235. 

Rigging,  an  authority  upon,  43. 


274 


The  Book-Hunter  at  Home 


Roguery,  books  on,  225. 
Romances  of  Chivalry,  86-90,  227, 

228. 
Romance,  the  spirit  of,  94-5,  102. 
RosiCRUciANS,   books   on  the,   255. 
Rouen,  an  old  inn  at,  26. 
Round    Table    at    Winchester,    the, 

100,  101. 
Rowlands'   Tracts,   225. 
Roydon  Hall,  20. 

St.   Amand,   Gerard  de,  52. 
St.  Augustine  on  Varro,  154. 
St.    Bernard   on    Solitude,    35. 
St.  Honorat,  the  monk  of,  37. 
St.   Katherin  of  Siena,  21. 
St.   Louis  and  the  Saracens,  90. 
St.    Margaret's   Devotional,   17. 

Life,  by  Pynson,  11. 

Sallengre's     rElogie     de     I'lvresse, 

186. 
Sanchez's     Bibliografia    Aragonesa, 

170. 
Saracenic  literature,  209. 
Savaron,  Jean,  248. 
Savonarola's  Compendium,  255. 
Sawyer,    Tom,    The  Adventures  of, 

66. 
Sayle's  Books  at  Cambridge,  165. 
Schiller,  translations  of,  78. 
Schoeffer's   catalogue,   174. 
School  Books,  Old,  259. 
Scipio  Africanus,  quoted,  38,  57  n. 
Scott,  Dr.  E.  J.  L.,  54  n. 
Scott's  Last  Expedition,  69. 
Sea,  books  on  the,  251-2. 
Seals,  books  on,  236. 
Seilliere,    Baron   A.,    the   library   of, 

22  n,  227. 
Seymour,   Richard,    Esq.,   187. 
Shakespeareana,  218,  219. 
Shakespeare's     Passionate     Pilgrim, 

10,  228  n. 

Plays,  14,  17. 

Titus  Andronicus,   17. 


Sharon    Turner    on    digressions,    52, 

on  Romances,  88. 

Shelley,  quotation  from,  38. 

Adonais  and  Queen  Mab,  189, 

190. 

Original  Poetry,  190. 

Shelves,   128-134. 

Ships,  an  authority  upon  old,  43. 

'  Shorn   lamb  '  proverb,   56 

Skeiton,  John,   lost  books  by,  11. 

Slater's  Early  Editions,   191. 

Solitude,   35-39. 

Sophocles,  translations  of,  71. 

Sotheby  on  block-books,   168. 

SocTH  Seas,  books  on  the,  207. 

Southcote  Manor-house,  244  n. 

Spanish  folios,  129. 

Specialism,   the  advantages  of,   194 

seq. 
Specialists,  subjects  of,  202-3. 
Speculum,   Caxton's,   14. 
Speculum  Principis,  Skelton's,  11. 
Spenser,  quoted,  31. 
Sport,  books  on,  260. 

definition  of,  260  n. 

Stael,  Madame  de,  52. 
Staining   bookshelves,    131,   132. 

leaves  of   books,   149. 

Stains,   removing,   148-149. 
'Stationers,'  177. 
Sterne,  Laurence,  56. 
Sweynheim  and  Pannartz,  179. 
Syon  College  library,  12,  21. 

Taylor,  Bayard,  75. 
Tennyson,  A.  and  C,  189. 

Helen's  Tower,  192. 

Terence,  a  Giunta,  3,  4. 
Thackeray's  Flore  et  Zephyr,  189. 

King  Glumpus,  189. 

Theagenes  and  Chariclea,  85. 
Theology,  263. 
Thesaurus  Cornucopia,   171-172. 
Thomas  Aquinas,  37. 
Thomas  a  Kempis,  217. 


Index 


275 


Thomason,   George,   257 

Thyrsis  and  Daphne,  13. 

Titles,   some  curious,  256-7. 

Titus  Andronicus,  17. 

Tobacco,  books  on,  263. 

Tombs,  the  desecration  of,  103-105. 

Topography,  books  on,  264. 

Tracts,  256. 

Trades,  books  on,  264. 

Traveller,  the  library,  44-48. 

Trials,  books  on,  225. 

Triomphe   des   Neuf   Preux,   le,   89, 

216,  228. 
Tristram   on   a  white  horse,   88. 
Trunk,  an  old,  18. 
Truster's  Honours  of  the  Table,  223. 
Turner,  Sharon,  on  Digressions,  52, 

on  Romances,  88. 

University   Don,   a   widely  read,   7i»- 

81 
Upton,    Nicholas,   5-8. 
Urquhart,  Sir  Thomas,  76. 

Varro,  St.  Augustine  on,  154, 
Vaughan,  Stephen,  15,  16. 
Vellum,  brown,  138. 

perishable,   138. 

Venus  and  Adonis,  14,  228  n. 
'  Venus  de  Milo,'  133  n. 
Verard,  Antoine,  166,  176. 
'  Victor  and  Cazire,'  190. 
Vincent's  True  Relation,  211. 


Virgil,    translations    of,    72. 
Voragine,  Jacobus  de,  217. 

Wace,   quoted,   93. 

Wager,   H.M.S.,  the  loss  of,  47. 

'  Wagstafle,   Theophile,'  189. 

Walloon   printer,    a,   243. 

Walton's  Compleat  Angler,  191,  192. 

'Wargus,'  105. 

Warton,  Thomas,  11. 

Washing  and  cleaning,   146-149. 

Wechel,  Christian,  178-9. 

Werewolves,  books  on,  255. 

Westminster       Abbey       muniments, 

54  n. 
Wheatley's  Prices  of  Books,  173-174. 
Wiliems,  Alphonse,  24,  187. 
Wilier,  George,  177,   178. 
William  the  Conqueror,  201. 
Winchester,  95-102. 

ancient  customs  of,  102. 

Castle  hall  at,  100,   101. 

Witchcraft,  books  on,  255. 
Wolvesey  Castle,  101. 

Worde,  W^ynkyn  de,  13,  14,  15,  21. 
Wordsworth,  quoted,  36,  77,  95. 

Ximenes,    Cardinal,  36,   37. 

Yale,  the,  250-1. 

Zoology,  books  on,  250. 


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